While many questioned her sources and legitimacy, we can tell you that she is pretty legit. Navtra’s leaks were accurate regarding the entire PlayStation State of Play lineup that announced Final Fantasy XVI, an Avengers PS5 exclusive DLC, Life is Strange: True Colors, among others. As soon as she said that, fans worldwide began to speculate what Final Fantasy game it could be. Navtra quickly confirmed the genre will be an RPG game, so we can rule out, thankfully, a Square Enix to Release Two More Final Fantasy VII Games port to PlayStation 5 or spinoffs like Chocobo Racing - even though it was adorable. And although she didn’t spill out all information, people kept quizzing her, fishing for more details, so I’ve gathered all her answers here to support my and everyone else’s theories. When asked about the budget, Navtra said it won’t be a high investment like Final Fantasy XVI or Forspoken, but it won’t be low profile like World of Final Fantasy. So scratch a World of Final Fantasy 2. Also, no remaster or remake, but don’t discard a sequel yet. Later on, when asked about a new tactics game or musou-like, she answered, “It’s not Ivalice, Tactics, nor Warriors. Don’t set up yourselves for disappointment.” Unfortunately, those who yearn for a true Final Fantasy Tactics successor without judges may have to contend with Project Triangle Strategy in the meanwhile, which seems to be shaping into a bombastic game. So what’s left, a Type-0 sequel? If you haven’t played the game and intend to, spoiler alert. There’s an alternate ending to the game where we see Ace in a type of feudal Japan setting, almost bleeding to death until the flames of Phoenix engulfs him and gives his lifeforce back. The cinematics ends with Ace saying, “We’ve arrived,” but apparently, they are running quite late. Since the original director of Type-0 Hajime Tabata left Square Enix - and with him, four more FFXV DLC at the time - it was improbable a Type-0 sequel would hit the shelves. Stakes have gotten higher since Navtra’s announcement, but it’s wise to change your bets after another leaker fueled the flames of hope.
Final Fantasy Souls-like Incoming?
A renowned leaker from France said Square Enix works alongside Team Ninja to bring a souls-like game to the Final Fantasy Universe. Team Ninja is known for games like Nioh and Ninja Gaiden, so we can be confident they have the know-how to do it.
— SoulsHunt (@SoulsHunts) May 22, 2021 Reddit user MXHombre123 kindly translated the French to share more pieces of information regarding the project:
It might possibly be called Final Fantasy Origin (without the s) or similar. Final Fantasy Origins was the release of the original Final Fantasy I and II for PlayStation. Souls-like, but Jedi Fallen Order is the best comparison point. Demo this summer on the PSN to gather feedback, possibly just after the announcement. Team Ninja did this to both Nioh and Nioh 2, so it adds up.
Soon after, people quickly turned to Navtra to confirm this leak, to which she responded: “It’s tricky. It’s certainly Souls-inspired, but it’s not exactly what you’d imagine when you hear “Souls-like FF.” When I hear Souls-like, I imagine nightmares, hundreds of deaths, and the expunging of my gamer soul. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not very fond of Souls-like. First, I’m not dexterous enough to play, and secondly, I rage too much at it, and no one deserves to endure me in this state. However, I have crazy friends that are fans of the Soulsborne series and that loathe Souls-like because they think that developers are just using the term for marketing. I played Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and Nioh. I felt more comfortable with Nioh, mainly because of Living Weapons that give you a second wind and, depending on your build, can easily outmatch a boss. With that said, when I think of an original Soulsborne game, I picture something more technical and methodical, as the Dark Souls series is, and nothing as extravagant as merging yourself with spirits and exploding your foes to smithereens in seconds. Nioh, Jedi Fallen Order, and Sekiro have an extra positive, which differs from the roll-in-the-last-millisecond-and-attack genre. Since it’s the Final Fantasy universe, we can expect magic, a lot of magic, maybe summons, companions such as Chocobo, and other elements that perform as a Souls-inspired game, like Navtra said, rather than a direct rip-off with Final Fantasy skins.
New Final Fantasy to be Announced Soon
Either way, we can expect the rumor to be confirmed soon. Navtra said Square Enix will release more information in the next month and with fans already considering the news confirmed, the only question mark is regarding the nature of the game. We have Summer Game Fest on June 10 and E3 starting June 12, and so far, Square Enix is attending both. While E3 is definitely the most attention-grabbing stage for gaming, nothing would stop Square from announcing at Summer Game Fest or another PlayStation State of Play. Plus, Navtra also said that Square Enix will announce a cross-gen Eidos title. We can expect anything ranging from Tomb Raider, Hitman, Deus Ex, or even the long-desired Legacy of Kain remake. However, since it’s a cross-gen title, expect it to release for PS4, PS5, as well for Xbox One, Series, and PC.
