A Final Fantasy 16 demo could launch next year

Final Fantasy 16 might get a demo prior to launch, according to one producer.

That producer would be Naoki Yoshida, who just recently did media interviews with publications around the world. In an interview with Dengeki Online (and translated by 12DOVE), Yoshida mentions that he would "like to" put out a "trial version" of Final Fantasy 16 prior to it launching next Summer.

However, the producer does couch this in the fact that the team behind Final Fantasy 16 is still planning for development phases to come in 2023. Therefore, Yoshida can't actually guarantee there will be a demo of the new RPG before it launches, but it's more a personal wish of his.

When contacted for comment, Square Enix declined to comment on Yoshida's statement. 

Additionally, Yoshida mentions that he would like to provide members of the media with the opportunity to experience Final Fantasy 16's combat for themselves, before it launches. Again, this isn't a guarantee this will actually happen, and appears to be a separate goal of Yoshida's outside of a general public demo.

If you remember back to the last mainline release in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix provided a demo for the RPG prior to its launch. While members of the media and E3 attendees were able to try out the demo before anyone else, it would eventually be made available for all PS4 players just a matter of weeks later.

It could very well be the case that Final Fantasy 16 might receive a similar treatment. Speaking of experiencing the combat, 12DOVE also had the opportunity to speak to Yoshida, and asked him about Final Fantasy's big switch away from command and turn-based combat over the years. 

You can also head over to our general Final Fantasy 16 interview with Yoshida for a deeper look at combat, characters, and the imposing Eikons.