Final Fantasy XVI Announces September 2023 Update to Adjust Arcade Mode

Square Enix has announced that the latest mainline entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy XVI, will be updated on September 3, 2023, at 12:00 Japan Standard Time (11 PM ET/ 8 PM PT).

This update will adjust the player evaluation for how one performs in battles in Arcade Mode. A new leaderboard will also be implemented, rendering the previous one moot. Further details were not provided. Achieving high ranks in Arcade Mode was far too simple before, so it’s nice to see that effort is being spent to hopefully make it more demanding.

We’ll keep you all updated on this update’s release.

Final Fantasy XVI is a more action-heavy entry than its predecessors, with a Devil May Cry V designer even taking the helm. Throughout the title, players will control the protagonist, Clive, as he confronts various Dominants, humans who have been cursed with the power to become Eikons.

Clive is the “First Shield of Rosaria,” sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, who’s the Dominant of Phoenix. However, following a certain tragedy, Clive swears revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit.

The producer, Naoki Yoshida, describes this game as akin to his experience with the first Final Fantasy, as “playing the lead in an epic motion picture.” The reasoning for this title’s action-oriented approach and more classical fantasy setting was to “appeal to as wide a range of gamers as possible.”

Check out our latest post-launch coverage and our review.

Final Fantasy XVI is available on PlayStation 5.