'Final Fantasy XV' release date slips to November
UPDATED Aug. 15 at 8:06 a.m. ET: The delay is official. Square Enix confirmed in an overnight email that Final Fantasy XV will come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Nov. 29, two months after its originally scheduled Sept. 30 launch.
A statement from director Hajime Tabata notes that the delay is necessary to ensure that the game runs well when it does launch. Rarely do short-term delays like this mean bad things for the game in question; they almost always serve to make it better.
Read Tabata's statement below:
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From the moment we joined this project, our vision was to create a level of freedom and realism previously unseen in the series. Regrettably, we need a little bit more time to deliver on this vision and are confident that this new release date will help us achieve this. As the director and lead of this project, I wish to personally apologize for the additional wait. As a team, we want Final Fantasy XV to achieve a level of perfection that our fans deserve. We kindly ask for your understanding.
The original post follows, below.
Final Fantasy XV is 10 years in the making, so what's another two months?
The next numbered entry in the long-running RPG series from publisher Square Enix reportedly won't be making its Sept. 30 release. The rumored new release date is Nov. 29.
Word of the delay came first from Gamnesia, which cited "a source within GameStop management." The source noted that some stores have already received date-adjusted promotional materials, with orders to hold them until after Sunday, Aug. 14.
The report was later corroborated by two additional sources, one from GameStop and another "non-retail" source, speaking to Kotaku. Gamnesia also published an image showing GameStop employees how to update existing promotional materials with the new date.
Continue to regard this as a rumor for now, while keeping a few important factors in mind.
For starters, release delays are common in the later weeks of the summer. Publishers juggle scheduling around to accommodate last-minute finishing touches on games that need them. Final Fantasy XV is a massive game, and its director noted on the record at E3 2016 that optimization has been "very difficult."
It's also worth noting that release delay leaks frequently come from retailer sources. Stores like GameStop often find out about date changes ahead of official delay announcements so they can be ready to replace misleading promo materials.
Square Enix has yet to confirm any delay Final Fantasy XV, but Mashable reached out for confirmation and we will update this post as soon as more details emerge.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
