It's been a long time coming for "Final Fantasy" fans who waited 10 years for the latest entry of Square Enix's blockbuster series. Now their wait is finally over as reports are coming in that indicate "Final Fantasy XV" is slated to launch worldwide on Friday, Sept. 30.
This release date was revealed by a single source and then corroborated by three other sources who reportedly have "knowledge of the matter."
"Our sources in this case are reliable," said Gematsu, who first reported the release date. "However, given the sensitivity of the matter, and that within a company setting anything can change before it is made public, we're reporting this as a rumor until the release date is officially announced."
For better or worse, the day this ceases to be a rumor may soon be upon us. Square Enix is slated to announce the release date for Final Fantasy on March 30 at its "Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV" event at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. There, not only will the company give an official release date, but other details, such as the official name of the playable tech demo for "FFXV," will be revealed as well.
A Sept. 30 launch date seems plausible based on previous reports. Square Enix conducted a survey last year that asked respondents if "Persona 5" and "Final Fantasy XV" were to be released at around the same time, which would they prioritize buying. The key is that "Persona 5" is slated for a Summer 2016 release, so "FFXV" coming just a few days into the fall season isn't too far-fetched.
It's been a long time coming for "Final Fantasy XV." Initially revealed at E3 2006 as an exclusive title for the PlayStation 3, the title was then known as "Final Fantasy Versus XIII" as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy saga alongside "Final Fantasy XIII" and "Final Fantasy Type-0." Hype surrounded the game for months after the reveal, but it died down almost as quickly as it began once Square stopped providing any information about the game.
It was re-revealed at E3 2013 as "Final Fantasy XV" and shifted from last-gen consoles to current ones. Along with the change in name came changes in certain aspects such as story sequences and the timeline for events. Despite that, the main concept, world and story remains largely intact.
March 30 will be the magic day for when we learn more info on Final Fantasy's latest entry. Those unable to obtain tickets in the Los Angeles area will be able to watch a livestream of the event on Twitch and YouTube.
