"Final Fantasy XV" game director Hajime Tabata announced at the PAX Prime Active Time Report in Seattle, as reported by Polygon, that the game will be released in 2016, although he did not state the specific release window that they are aiming for. He then confirmed that more details would be announced at a "special event" in March next year.
This follows Tabata's statements a few weeks back during the Gamescom 2015 event, where he stated that the game will come out before 2017 rolls in.
"We've set down the release date, we know when it is, and we've got a complete road map lined up, right up to launch, and we're proceeding along that as planned," he explained in a report from Gamespot.
During the PAX Prime announcement, he also explained the game's driving mode. Players will be able to explore the world of Lucis in their vehicle, the Regalia. Gamers can either drive the vehicle manually or sit as passengers and allow the car to drive on its own.
Players can stop and walk out on foot at any time and much like in the real world, the vehicle can and will run out of gas. When this occurs, the players need to push the vehicle to the nearest gas station or call for assistance.
Although Tabata already stated publicly that the game will roll out next year, some observers are still skeptical of the 2016 release date window. According to a report from PlayStation Lifestyle, there are reasons for fans to be wary of this announcement, the biggest one being the fact that the game has been in development for nearly a decade. The game was originally unveiled during the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006 when it was still titled "Final Fantasy versus 13" and was set to be launched for the PS3.
"Final Fantasy XV" will roll out globally for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
