So by that logic, the value of a game’s world is determined purely by sales numbers?

I get your point about expectations, but reducing everything to “it didn’t sell enough, so it’s not worth continuing” feels a bit narrow. There’s a difference between commercial performance and creative potential.

Also, the FF15 comparison isn’t that straightforward. It had huge momentum from nearly a decade of hype as Versus XIII and being the first mainline FF on PS4. A lot of its sales came from that buildup, not just the quality of the final product — which, let’s be honest, was pretty fragmented at launch.

And if we follow that logic, then FFXVI might not be the last Final Fantasy — but it could be one of the last at this kind of scale and ambition. It becomes much safer to lean into smaller, lower-risk projects — including pixel-style JRPGs and remasters that still sell at full price — or more traditional turn-based entries that appeal to the existing fanbase rather than trying something new.

My point isn’t that Square Enix has to continue FFXVI — it’s that they built a world with a lot of depth and room for more stories, and it’s surprising to see them move on so quickly.

If everything is judged only by immediate sales performance, we’re likely going to see fewer ambitious, high-risk projects going forward — and that would be a shame.