It’s kind of unthinkable that a massive RPG wouldn’t get some sort of post-launch DLC in the year 2023, but that’s apparently what the plan was for Final Fantasy XVI earlier this year. That may be changing, however, with producer Naoki Yoshida now saying that the game’s development team is looking at “options” for how to address fans’ demand for more content. Many who have finished the game already have a good idea of where they could start.
Earlier this year, director Hiroshi Takai said there weren’t any existing plans for DLC. Yoshida explained why in a May interview with Game Informer. “”We have no idea if people are going to fall in love with Valisthea and fall in love with Clive’s story and want to see more of the world and more of its characters,” the producer said. “So while we always want to consider DLC or spinoffs or those types of things where you can learn more about the game, first we want to see if Valisthea and Clive are really things players around the world want to see more of and then make that decision.”
Read More: 12 Things We Lowkey Love About Final Fantasy XVI
Now that the game is out, has already shipped over 3 million copies worldwide, and appears to have won fans over, it sounds like some sort of DLC might be happening after all. “As you know, going into FFXVI, the one thing we wanted to do is create a full complete story, something you can enjoy from beginning to end one hundred percent without any DLC,” Yoshida said in a new interview (via IGN). “And I think we were able to do that.”
He continued:
But now we understand that we’re getting feedback from players that have played the game and a lot of players want to see more and we know that and understand that. For us, we’re taking that and then thinking about our options moving forward, so hopefully in the near future we can have something that we can give to you all.
Spoiler warning: The rest of the article will briefly touch on some of the context around the ending of the game and why fans think there’s room for additional DLC.
While it’s true that Final Fantasy XVI tells a mostly complete story, there are plenty of pieces of backstory that players would still like to see filled in. One of the biggest revolves around the so-called “Lost Eikon” Leviathan. The sea serpent is one of the only original summons that doesn’t appear in the game and is only referenced by name. As Clive discovers the legends surrounding Valisthea’s mothercystals, Eikons, and old gods, it’s hinted that Leviathan is occupying the Northern seas, though we never actually see it or who its current-day Dominant is.
This has led lots of players to speculate about whether Leviathan was cut from the game for some reason, and to suggest that it would serve as a perfect jumping off point for an additional DLC-sized set of story missions. Clive could explore a new location, get some cool new Leviathan powers, engage in one last Eikon battle, and possibly even discover more about the Fallen—Final Fantasy XVI’s ancient civilization whose ruins are scattered throughout the world.
Of course, players have other ideas as well. Another popular pitch for DLC revolves around Clive and Jill finally getting to hook up for real, and potentially having a nice little prologue that provides a proper send off for all of the characters at the Hideout that players have come to care about over the course of the game, not too dissimilar to the final mission in The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine expansion.
But why settle for DLC when you could ask for an entirely new game? Making a new game from scratch takes forever and is wildly expensive. Maybe it’s time for another sequel spin-off called Final Fantasy XVI-2. Jill can channel Final Fantasy X-2’s Yuna and finally get her own time in the spotlight to help usher in a new era for Valisthea after all its magic and gods are gone. That’s the real fan DLC copium.