After a 10-year development period, Final Fantasy XV was finally released last year. Initially conceived as Final Fantasy Versus XIII back in 2006, the game turned out to be a hit both financially and critically. Over four million copies have been sold so far, with the upcoming PC version set to boost sales even more.
Don't count on Square Enix to build on the success and develop a direct sequel, though. Director Hajime Tabata recently told Polygon during an interview at Gamescom 2017 that they currently have no plans to create a sequel.
He said that while a sequel is "good in certain ways," opting to develop a full-fledged sequel, which would take several years to get off the ground, might cause people to lose interest. So instead of working on another large project, Square Enix is placing more focus on supplementing Final Fantasy XV with smaller installments.
This comes in the form of the story-based DLC packs, which focuses on supporting characters. The first was Episode Gladiolus, followed by Episode Prompto. The third installment, Episode Ignis, will arrive later this year. An online multiplayer mode is also on the way, which will arrive via the "Comrades" expansion pack.
Players looking for more of Final Fantasy XV can also dive into several tie-in media, which includes Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, an upcoming PlayStation VR game, and Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire, an online strategy game for Android and iOS. There's also the just-announced Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, a chibi version of the original console game, which is set to arrive this year for mobiles.
Though Square Enix currently has no plans to develop a sequel to Final Fantasy XV, anything can happen in the future. After all, the company already has a history with Final Fantasy sequels.
The first one was Final Fantasy X-2, the direct sequel to Final Fantasy X. Final Fantasy XIII also birthed two sequels, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII all count as sequels as well.
Final Fantasy XV is currently available on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version will arrive in 2018.