‘Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn’ Release Date and Anime Prologue Short Film Revealed

Not too long ago, Square Enix announced that a good chunk of Final Fantasy XV‘s story DLC was no longer getting released following Hajime Tabata’s departure from Square Enix. All of us at Noisy Pixel were bummed about the news, however, Square Enix has revealed that last FFXV DLC, Episode Ardyn, will be releasing on March 26, and has a short but sweet anime film to cheer us up before it releases.

For the anime short film, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue, it serves as a prequel that shares the truth behind Final Fantasy XV’s dashingly evil villain, Ardyn. Spoiler alert: It’s a pretty sad, 15-minute long tale of suffering, death, and resurrection leading up to the main story in FFXV, so get ready to get hit in the feels. Be sure to watch it till the end since there is a little gameplay teaser for Episode Ardyn.

Speaking of the latest episode, it’ll allow players to take on the role of the FFXV‘s main antagonist, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, with a new narrative set 35 years before the events of FFXV. Players will follow the notorious game’s villain through being freed from an extra-long life of imprisonment and entering the world of darkness. Ardyn wasn’t a happy camper with being locked up and all that, so players will need to help him seek vengeance against the Lucian royal family, the ones responsible for his imprisonment.

To take down any foes that try to stop Ardyn’s mission, players can unleash Ardyn’s villainous and deadly powers. Instead of needing an airship to get Ardyn where he needs to go, players will have the option to fly freely across the map, which will come in handy. While traversing and progressing forward in the game, familiar but younger FFXV characters will be pop up throughout along with new characters such as the scientist Verstael Besithia and the priestess Aera Mirus Fleuret.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn is a single DLC episode that will be available to purchase on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 26. For right now, watch the episode’s prologue below: