Anticipation for Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) is at an all-time high following the Sony PlayStation State Of Play presentation showcasing many things about the game. Producer Naoki Yoshida, more commonly known as Yoshi-P, shared details on combat, exploration, and more.
Here, we’ll touch on some of the things that were revealed along with pre-order and pricing details across Asia.
Devil May Cry-like Combat
Final Fantasy XVI is the franchise’s first mainline game that features a fully Action-RPG combat. An early hands-on with select media revealed that FF16’s combat director, Ryota Suzuki, worked on Devil May Cry 5. So, it comes as no surprise that the game’s flashy combat seems reminiscent of DMC.
The showcase featured FF16 protagonist Clive darting around and performing melee attacks as well as casting spells. All Final Fantasy staples, but now in full Action-RPG style. They also have an interesting approach to combat style and difficulty. There’s Story Focused that automatically equips Clive with items that automate certain things in combat. Then, for more experienced gamers, there’s Action Focused which lets you experience the new style in full.
Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, you won’t be controlling a party. You’re stuck with Clive the whole way through, but the skill tree offers many customization options to fit your play style.
Eikon Battles
Perhaps the most attention-grabbing detail are the Eikon battles. Eikons are what the summons are called in FF16. Yoshi-P said these titanic clashes offer a different gameplay each time. True enough, we’ve seen one that looks like a straight-up 1v1 versus fighting clash and another that looks like a shoot’em up.
Throughout the game, Clive will gain access to multiple Eikons. We’re excited to see and experience all these Kaiju-like battles.
Exploration and side quests
While not an open world game, FF16 will offer vast areas that are ripe for exploration. After progressing a few hours into the game, Clive will have access to a hideout. Here, he’ll have plenty of NPC encounters and RPG staples like item shops and side quests called Mob Hunts. Mob Hunts are on a billboard with a Moogle stationed nearby.
If you want to learn more about Valisthea (the game’s setting), there’s also a couple of key characters in the hideout who can tell you more about the place. Lorseman Harpocrates and Vivian Ninetales will fill you in on stories, tales, and lores about Valisthea. Make sure you speak to them each time you visit the hideout.
Flashback storytelling
Gamers will experience the story of FF16 through the eyes of Clive. The game starts with him in his 30s — a first for a mainline Final Fantasy title. But the story will feature playable flashbacks to Clive’s teens and 20s, showcasing what made him what he is in the present time.
FF16 is set in Valisthea — a land blessed with an abundance of Mothercrystals. These are glittering mountains of crystal that tower over the realms around them, blessing them with aether.
Aether lets people conjure magic that let them live lives of comfort and plenty. They’re a sought-after resource. The world is generally at peace. However, the spread of the Blight threatens that very peace.
Valisthea is composed of six realms. They are: The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, The Kingdom of Waloed, The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom, and The Crystalline Dominion.
Watch the entire FF16 State of Play Showcase
Price, availability, pre-order details
US pre-order details were already revealed previously. In Southeast Asia, pre-order officially begins on April 20, 2023. All Asia physical edition pre-orders (Standard, Deluxe and Collector’s Edition) will receive a B5 Notebook.
For specific details on physical pre-order mechanics, users can check with local retailers.
Digital Pre-Order is available on the PlayStation Store. PS Store pre-orders will receive the Scholar‘s Spectacles (EXP up Accessory) DLC.
Additionally, physical and digital will receive the following pre-order bonuses:
- Braveheart (Weapon) DLC
- Cait Sith Charm (Gil Boost Accessory) DLC
Collector’s Edition (SGD 489 / RM 1,599 / Rp. 5,299,000 / THB 12,990 / PHP 19,990 / VND 8,899,000)
- Box — A beautiful metallic-sheen box featuring impressive artwork by legendary FINAL FANTASY series illustrator, Yoshitaka Amano
- “FINAL FANTASY XVI” Game — Base game package, including reversible cover art
- Premium Statue – Phoenix vs Ifrit — A premium statue depicting a battle between two eikons – Phoenix and Ifrit
- Metal Eikon Pin Collection — A premium metal pin collection featuring eight eikons
- Special Clive Rosfield SteelBook® Case — A SteelBook case featuring artwork of Clive Rosfield, the protagonist
- Cloth World Map of Valisthea — A cloth map of Valisthea where the story unfolds • Blood Sword (Weapon) DLC — The fabled scarlet steel of Firion, hero of Final Fantasy II.
Deluxe Edition Blu-ray Disc — SGD 139 / RM 429 / Rp 1,499,000 / THB 3,390 / PHP 4,990 / VND 2,499,000
Deluxe Edition Digital — SGD 123 / RM 379 / Rp 1,329,000 / THB 2,890
- Base game package, including reversible cover art
- Cloth World Map of Valisthea
- Special Clive Rosfield SteelBook® Case
- Early purchase bonus: Braveheart (Weapon) DLC and Cait Sith’s Charm (Gil Boost Accessory) DLC
Standard Edition (Blu-ray Disc Version / Digital Version) — SGD 97.9 / RM 299 / Rp 1,029,000 / THB 2,290 / PHP 3,490 / VND 1,799,000
Final Fantasy XVI will release exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on June 22.
Gaming
Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game
Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?
When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?
Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)
As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.
Not sure where this one started, but it’s not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4.
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 4, 2026
Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.
With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.
SEE ALSO: PC Game Pass gets cheaper, but Call of Duty delays are coming
Gaming
Stranger Than Heaven is a Yakuza prequel with Snoop Dogg
The story spans different eras and regions across half a century in Japan.
In my review of Yakuza Kiwami 3, I groaned about how every new entry in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon franchise — original and remake — looked identical with each other. I ended that playthrough hoping desperately for a new era. Thankfully, those hopes did not fall on deaf ears. In its first trailer, the upcoming Stranger Than Heaven showed off an interesting reimagining of the Yakuza universe. Oh, and Snoop Dogg is in it.
First announced back in late 2024 as Project Century, Stranger Than Heaven has now confirmed itself as a prequel to the prequel to the Yakuza games. It didn’t start that way, though. When it was announced, there was hope that the then-untitled game featured a new story disconnected from Yakuza. It looks like the final game is making the best of both worlds.
Stranger Than Heaven chronicles the rise of the infamous Tojo Clan. Unless this is decidedly different from the Tojo Clan in the Yakuza series, this is the clearest sign that this is, in fact, a prequel.
Makoto Daito, a Japanese boy living in Chicago, escapes America to forge a new life in Japan. Along the way, he meets Orpheus, a smuggler played by Snoop Dogg, who drags Makoto into the criminal underworld. Eventually, Makoto decides to do things his own way by creating a new crime family called the Tojo Clan.
Unlike other games in the series, Stranger Than Heaven spans different eras and regions in Japan, starting with Fukuoka in 1915 and ending with Kamurocho in 1965. It will also have different fighting mechanics by mapping the left and right bumpers/triggers to left and right attacks.
Off the bat, Stranger Than Heaven looks like a new era for the series. It launches winter this year for all major platforms.
SEE ALSO: Now Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is set to launch on October 6, 2026, bringing a new high-speed twist to the Star Wars universe. The game is published by Secret Mode and developed by Fuse Games. It arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with support for up to 12 players.
Pre-orders are now open across Standard, Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. Pricing starts at $59.99 for the Standard Edition, with both digital and physical versions available depending on platform.
A different kind of Star Wars story
Set in the lawless Outer Rim, the game introduces the Galactic League—an unsanctioned racing circuit where skill matters more than destiny. You play as a mysterious pilot named Shade, navigating a single-player campaign built on rivalries, alliances, and unfinished business.
There’s no Force or prophecy here. Instead, the focus is on build strategy and racing mastery. Players can customize three types of repulsorcraft and even take on classic podracers, blending familiar Star Wars elements with a more competitive, arcade-style edge.
Multiplayer supports online races where players can test their builds and driving skills against others.
Pre-order bonuses and editions
All pre-orders include a bonus livery usable across vehicles, with platform-specific colors, plus a Player Banner background for multiplayer.
The Deluxe Edition adds three extra vehicles, exclusive Arcade events, a livery pack, and cosmetic upgrades like new player banners and insignias. It also includes a digital art book featuring early designs of characters, locations, and vehicles.
Collector’s Edition for dedicated pilots
For collectors, the physical Collector’s Edition bundles a model of the Kor Sarun: Darc X landspeeder, themed patches, a printed art book, and a steel case housed in premium packaging. It also includes all Deluxe Edition digital content.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with pre-orders now available.
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