Final Fantasy connected Xbox was erstwhile but a dream, until the Xbox 360 procreation saw Square yet commencement to amusement Xbox immoderate love. Now, it feels similar that spell mightiness person tally its course... person we seen the past of Final Fantasy connected Xbox?

Square's world-famous Final Fantasy JRPG bid has gone done galore phases. In the aboriginal years, it was each astir Nintendo, with the archetypal six games launching for the NES/Famicom (I-III) and aboriginal the SNES/Super Famicom (IV-VI). But with the advent of disc-based media offering greater retention for bigger worlds and amended presumption than earlier (and astatine cheaper accumulation costs than cartridges), Final Fantasy VII-XII would migrate the fashionable bid implicit to PlayStation. Likely not by design, but these cycles person lasted astir a decennary apiece, with the archetypal dropping successful 1987, FFVII arriving successful 1997, past with the delayed merchandise of Final Fantasy XIII arriving a small off-cycle successful 2009... but for the archetypal clip taking the franchise to aggregate consoles from launch. Until reasonably recently, it seemed similar FF had escaped its exclusivity, de facto oregon otherwise, to go a cross-platform marque nary longer stuck connected 1 system. All this near america wondering what mightiness hap aft multiplatform, nearly-good RPG Final Fantasy XV arsenic we entered the adjacent signifier of the cycle.

And past Final Fantasy VII Remake happened.

Today, it surely feels similar Square is taking Final Fantasy backmost to the PlayStation camp, with enactment crossed the franchise suggesting it adjacent though cipher seems consenting to really say arsenic much. That's acold from the lone reddish emblem for FF fans connected Xbox, though, truthful let's dive into immoderate of the things that marque america fishy that we mightiness not beryllium seeing much, if any, FF enactment connected Xbox for a while...

FFVII Remake is ne'er coming to Xbox, is it?

We've spoken earlier astir the ongoing debacle that is Final Fantasy VII Remake connected Xbox, and we're inactive nary person to getting immoderate due answers than we were erstwhile the archetypal portion of the remake launched exclusively for PS4 astir 3 years ago. Initially announced arsenic a timed Sony exclusive for astatine slightest 12 months, this woody was past seemingly extended erstwhile the trailer for the PS5 mentation besides mentioned an further six-month exclusivity period. The enhanced remake did yet travel to PC, hitting the Epic Games Store erstwhile the six months was up past Steam a afloat twelvemonth aft hitting PS5, but inactive not a peep astir the anticipation of an Xbox release. It's unclear whether Sony whitethorn person paid for immoderate further hold to forestall it from appearing connected different consoles, oregon if Square simply decided that a larboard arriving present truthful precocious successful the time apt wouldn't marque capable wealth to beryllium viable, particularly successful the aftermath of FFVIIR being a headliner connected PlayStation Plus and streamable connected PC with the work — it's harmless to accidental that galore fans who privation to play it astir apt person astatine this point, limiting the marketplace for different version.

It could inactive beryllium that FFVII Remake whitethorn travel to Xbox successful the future, of course. The reimagined classical is acceptable to beryllium divided crossed 3 releases, starring immoderate to judge that we could spot the afloat happening erstwhile it's each implicit portion Sony puts retired the idiosyncratic parts successful the meantime arsenic console exclusives — the 2nd part, Rebirth, is already confirmed to beryllium different timed PS5 exclusive. But with everything other going connected with the bid astatine the infinitesimal and however it feels similar some franchise and steadfast mightiness beryllium moving distant from Xbox, it's hard to cling connected to anticipation for thing similar that happening, particularly erstwhile the archetypal portion of the remake trilogy volition beryllium the champion portion of a decennary aged by the clip it's each wrapped up. At this point, it's astir apt safer to presume that FFVIIR connected Xbox conscionable isn't happening... astatine slightest that mode it'll beryllium a bully astonishment if it 1 time does amusement up.

Surely Final Fantasy XIV would person happened by present if it was going to

Hit MMO Final Fantasy XIV makes bank for Square, with millions of players inactive loving beingness successful and astir Eorzea astir a decennary aft A Realm Reborn archetypal turned astir the fortunes of the online crippled pursuing its archetypal grim 2010 launch. Chatter astir FFXIV coming to Xbox has been swirling astir that full time, though respective reasons person been suggested for wherefore a larboard of a crippled this perfectly monolithic hasn't happened. These person including a deficiency of authoritative cross-play enactment erstwhile the crippled archetypal launched which would person divided console players, and the further outgo of Xbox Live connected apical of the game's subscription fee, though Sony has already proven the second to beryllium easy circumvented simply by not requiring the console online sub for this peculiar game, but again, that's not thing that was communal successful the aboriginal years of FFXIV. The MMO is arguably successful a amended authorities than it has ever been today, with ongoing enactment to the Main Scenario Quest (MSQ) to trim the abdominous and marque it a amended acquisition for newcomers, and the aboriginal expansions and endgame contented are superb.

Xbox brag Phil Spencer stated a fewer years backmost that talks were ongoing with manager Naoki Yoshida's squad to bring the MMO to Xbox, and reiterated that connection past twelvemonth successful different interrogation suggesting that talks mightiness still beryllium ongoing. It's ne'er excessively precocious to invited much Warriors of Light/Darkness to Eorzea and with each the improvements that person been made to the main communicative that has present wrapped aft 4 immense expansions (future expansions volition statesman a caller chapter), XIV is successful a large spot to connection a afloat epic online escapade from time 1 for caller Xbox players if it ever does happen. But erstwhile again, is determination a information that the franchise seemingly pulling retired of MS territory mightiness propulsion yet different spanner successful the works, adjacent though crossplay is simply a beauteous communal happening nowadays? I besides can't assistance but wonderment whether Microsoft mightiness beryllium disquieted astir stepping connected the toes of its ain The Elder Scrolls Online bringing successful a critically acclaimed MMORPG with an expanded escaped proceedings which lets you play done the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward enlargement up to level 60 for escaped with nary restrictions connected playtime. Copypasta memeing aside, FFXIV is astonishing and I'd emotion to spot it connected Xbox, having enactment thousands of hours into the crippled crossed 3 generations of PlayStation consoles, but extracurricular of Spencer reiterating that helium wants it to happen, astir a decennary into the game's life, there's inactive thing to study connected this front.

Final Fantasy XVI is different 'timed' PlayStation exclusive

Looking guardant to aboriginal this year, there's another 'timed exclusive' Final Fantasy crippled coming successful June... but this time, it's a mainline game. It's 1 happening to driblet spin-offs, remasters, remakes, and immoderate other connected immoderate platforms you similar but aft having aggregate main bid releases spell multiplatform, returning to a azygous format aboriginal for the adjacent section can't assistance but consciousness similar a connection of intent. Final Fantasy XVI volition beryllium a timed PS5 exclusive, though bid fans who person been pursuing the FFVII Remake concern apt cognize to instrumentality those words with an full shaker of salt. Even Yoshi-P joked that fans should conscionable "buy a PS5" alternatively than hold for the caller crippled to get connected different systems (as if buying a PS5 is adjacent thing you tin conscionable aftermath up and determine to do) truthful it doesn't dependable similar this circular volition spell a full batch amended than the past for FF fans connected Xbox.

Granted, FF's quality of telling self-contained stories means it tin spell anyplace and each caller crippled should beryllium capable to clasp up connected its ain merits, arsenic it has been capable to bash for decades. But speaking of decades, possibly we could beryllium astir to spot what the 4th really looks similar for FF, having bounced from Nintendo to Sony to multiformat and now, seemingly, heading backmost to the PlayStation country wherever the franchise genuinely blew up. Sony and Square person seemed particularly choky of late, with not lone FFVIIR but caller IP Forspoken getting picked up arsenic PS exclusives, but it remains to beryllium seen what this means for the aboriginal of FF... volition we ever really spot FFXVI connected Xbox, oregon is this conscionable going to beryllium Remake each implicit again with years of awkward wording that leads nowhere? If I hadn't already, I'd beryllium taking Yoshi-P's proposal to conscionable "buy a PS5..."

Xbox Game Pass is down to its past Final Fantasy game

Basically each of the mainline Final Fantasy games that person appeared connected Xbox — VII, VIII, IX, X/X-2, XII, the XIII trilogy, and XV, truthful lone missing MMO FFXI which closed down years agone connected 360 — person besides recovered their mode into Game Pass successful caller years, and portion determination was erstwhile a coagulated room of FF classics among the best games connected Game Pass for JRPG fans to bask successful the service, we're present down to conscionable one. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the lone crippled successful the bid near successful Game Pass, the last crippled successful its trilogy and a divisive single-character twist connected the accustomed formula. And adjacent that astir apt won't beryllium astir for long, fixed that it joined past March and the erstwhile games lone stuck astir for astir 12 months, truthful it seems apt that it'll lone beryllium a substance of weeks earlier we spell from having a clump of FF titles successful Game Pass to having precisely zero. Meanwhile, look implicit the obstruction astatine the PlayStation Plus room and you'll find that full 'modern' tally of the bid (with the objection of the XIII trilogy, perchance a effect of Sony's ongoing conflict to recognize however its ain PS3 really works), arsenic good arsenic the FFVII remake. There's thing successful the Nintendo Switch Online retro postulation either, mind, but successful an ecosystem wherever players look perfectly good with shelling retired for the aforesaid classics clip and again, you can't truly begrudge Square for doing the aforesaid arsenic the level holder with its ain games.

Games travel and spell from Game Pass each the time, truthful connected its own, this mightiness not beryllium specified a large deal. But erstwhile you've got 1 of the biggest MMOs successful the satellite locked to Sony consoles, the multi-part remake of the franchise's astir beloved crippled besides exclusive to PlayStation, and the series' adjacent mainline merchandise heading determination arsenic another console exclusive, it's hard to consciousness similar this isn't portion of thing bigger. To not lone beryllium missing retired connected the remake of the fan-favourite FFVII connected Xbox but besides to spot the archetypal permission Game Pass wrong weeks of the remake landing connected PS5 was a small galling, nevertheless coincidental. And it isn't conscionable the aged games that look to beryllium stepping retired of the spotlight connected Xbox either — the unusual low-key objection aside, determination besides seems to beryllium minimal involvement successful bringing much caller non-mainline releases to Xbox.

Even the spin-offs and collections are skipping Xbox

Put down the pitchforks, Stranger of Paradise stans — yes, Team Ninja's edgy enactment prequel to the archetypal Final Fantasy did so get immoderate Xbox emotion past year, though that successful itself is weird. What is the prequel to a crippled that has ne'er existed connected Xbox doing present erstwhile series-wide love-ins similar Dissidia and Theatrhythm haven't been fixed a look-in? The second is particularly topical with the latest mentation of the philharmonic solemnisation of each things FF, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, launching successful February for Switch and PS4. Given however overmuch clip I enactment into the 3DS versions, this is apt to beryllium 1 of my most-played games of the twelvemonth and it's honestly a spot gutting to spot this 1 skip Xbox, particularly aft the inferior Kingdom Hearts equivalent made the chopped with 2020's Melody of Memory. But astatine the aforesaid time, it's not conscionable that 1 game, and there's an adjacent bigger snub successful the works.

I'm talking astir the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, which includes enhanced versions of the archetypal six games successful the franchise and is acceptable to merchandise connected beauteous overmuch everything but Xbox successful the adjacent fewer months. The six games are each connected PC and mobile already but volition get connected (most) consoles soon, and unless I'm wholly underestimating the process, bringing elemental 8- and 16-bit classics similar these to each modern platforms bar Xbox can't assistance but consciousness pointed and intentional. This is the series' precise foundation, games that are arsenic important arsenic slices of past arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate of them are inactive genuinely amazing, and fixed that they've been connected countless different systems successful the past, it's a spot brainsick that Square wouldn't privation adjacent much players to acquisition oregon relive the formative years of the franchise, particularly if the program was to grow connected the beingness further successful the future.

Now look, I don't privation to travel crossed arsenic a prophet of doom here, but erstwhile things align similar this, it's hard to spot a aboriginal for Final Fantasy connected Xbox. We're inactive lacking 1 of Square's astir palmy ongoing games successful FFXIV, we're acceptable to miss retired connected mainline bid entries (FFXVI) and remakes of the astir fashionable crippled successful the bid (FFVII), and adjacent the lesser games don't look to privation to amusement up astir these parts anymore. Sure, we got a remaster of a half-decent PSP crippled arsenic immoderate benignant of weird consolation prize precocious past twelvemonth with Crisis Core, and I americium really looking guardant to sampling Stranger of Paradise's nonsense astatine immoderate point, but neither is truly a large capable woody to suggest that the bid has a aboriginal connected Xbox. If anything, if that's each we're getting, it's the opposite. Looking forwards, determination is presently nothing Final Fantasy connected the skyline for Xbox — a archetypal for galore years present that Stranger successful Paradise's DLC is done — truthful until Square decides to archer america otherwise, we astir apt shouldn't expect to spot Final Fantasy connected Xbox again immoderate clip soon.

What bash you think? Will Final Fantasy instrumentality to Xbox successful the future, oregon was the decent tally we had each we volition get? Let america cognize down successful the comments!