Final Fantasy 16 Could Be Coming to Switch, According to Producer Tease
Final Fantasy 16, the most recent mainline entry in Square Enix’s fabled franchise, has been making headlines lately. At the Xbox Showcase earlier in June, we found out the game was coming for immediate release to the Xbox Series, after being on an exclusive deal with PlayStation. This has allowed many more gamers to play the critically acclaimed game. Rumor is, though, that the team is not done. Producer Naoki Yoshida and creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro both hinted at the idea that the team is working towards a Nintendo Switch 2 port, in the same way Final Fantasy Remake: Intergrade is doing this year.
Can Team Bring Final Fantasy 16 Back To The Franchises’ Nintendo Roots?
Final Fantasy has made no qualms about its goal to bring more games to Nintendo, especially now that the Switch 2 has so much more power and graphics capability than its predecessor. This is why Final Fantasy VII Remake has already been announced to make its way to the brand new console. Square Enix had a long history with Final Fantasy being on Nintendo, and the more players they can reach, the better. With Final Fantasy 16 now being on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, the only stop left is the Switch, and that is precisely the point Yoshida made, according to a translated post on X: “All that’s left is Nintendo.”
While Final Fantasy 16 took a bit of time to take off on Xbox, possibly in part due to the shadow drop announcement, it has landed itself on the Xbox’s Top Paid Games Chart in the US, reaching as high as the 11th spot. Xbox Series now stands as the only console that can play all of the mainline (non-mmo, sorry Final Fantasy 11) games in the series, but it appears Nintendo is also on the radar to get as many games to as possible. So far, it can play Final Fantasy 1-10 and 12 in some capacity, with VII Remake Intergrade on its way as well.
It seems the only holdup is if the team can accomplish getting Final Fantasy 16 all the way there. According to Game Rant, “Maehiro echoed Yoshida’s statement and said that he wanted to ‘conquer it’ when it came to developing games on Nintendo’s new system.” That said, the third-party release of  Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition has done very well so far on the Switch 2 and is heavily demanding. Therefore, it stands to reason that Square Enix could pull off the same, with some tweaks in optimization. Of course, in the end, rumors are just that, until the team officially announces something concrete.
Final Thoughts
Creative Studio 3, the Square Enix branch that developed Final Fantasy 16, is currently in the midst of finishing up the long-awaited and highly anticipated Final Fantasy Tactics remaster, due out at the end of September. After that project is complete, keep an eye out for their next announcement, as we may be headed towards a Switch 2 release soon after. Until then, though, all we have are hopes, dreams, and combing through interviews for a hint at what’s coming. Give the fans what they want, Square Enix, and bring your games to all gamers!
