Final Fantasy 16 fans have spotted its demo on the PlayStation Store, though it’s not available to download yet.
The listing, shared on reddit, suggests the demo is on the PSN and ready to go, but has only been seen by those who have pre-ordered the game in advance and when browsing on mobile. I’ve seen no mention of a demo on the console PSN myself.
Square Enix stated a demo was on the way, but no release date was given. So when might it arrive?
Square Enix has made a habit of releasing demos of its games ahead of launch, typically containing the opening of the game with progress carrying over to the full release.
We know already that the Final Fantasy 16 demo will comprise the game’s prologue – something I was lucky enough to play through already – that explores Clive’s early life in Valisthea.
So what date is likely?
The most obvious suggestion is 11th June – Square Enix will host a pre-launch celebration in Los Angeles on this day, which will also be livestreamed.
At 11 days before the game’s release on 22nd June, this would certainly give fans long enough to play through the demo, not to mention a launch party is the ideal time to get the game in the hands of fans.
Another option is an announcement at one of the summer games conferences next week. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest 2023 is perhaps the most likely, but with Final Fantasy 16 being a PlayStation exclusive shown only at Sony events, this seems unlikely.
What about other dates? Is there a precedence set by Square Enix’s previous demo releases?
Looking at recent demo releases, The DioField Chronicle had a demo on 10th August, over a month before the game’s 22nd September release; Valkyrie Elysium had a demo on 15th September, 12 days before the game’s 27th September release; Star Ocean: The Divine Force had a demo on 21st September, a month ahead of the game’s 27th October release; Forspoken had a demo on 20th December, a month ahead of the game’s 24th January release; and Octopath Traveler 2 had a demo on 9th February, 15 days ahead of the game’s 24th February release.
In short, there is little consistency!
Still, with the demo seemingly on PSN, it’s clearly ready and raring to go at any point from now. Frankly, so am I.
Final Fantasy 16 will release in full on 22nd June, exclusive to PlayStation 5.
