Joy for some and sadness for others: Final Fantasy 16's combat system will not be turn-based

The reason is to attract new players

If you've seen any of the gameplay trailers for the long-awaited Final Fantasy 16, you'll surely have noticed that just like its predecessor, the battle system is in real-time, as it has been with most popular games, especially in the West. And while the franchise is globally appreciated by fans, the replacement of turn-based combat has a justification used by producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai.

According to Square Enix publishing officials, developing and producing a game with the size of the Final Fantasy franchise is very expensive, costing around $100 million. And in order to recoup that investment (or even exceed it), you need as many people playing your game as possible. Because the turn-based combat system isn't well regarded by most new players, the move to something more dynamic is inevitable, though series veterans will feel somewhat betrayed.

Yoshida adds that today's gamers expect a response as soon as they press a button, and that taking the action route was "pretty much the only way" to attract new players.

Arriving on 22 June for Playstation 5 and, in the future for PC. Final Fantasy 16 promises to show that despite gameplay changes, the essence of the franchise remains intact.