Square Enix has announced that another update for the highly anticipated roleplaying game Final Fantasy XVI is slated to release on December 8th. However, RPG fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up about substantial new content just yet. According to the development team, this new patch will focus narrowly on adjustments to the game’s Arcade battle mode scoring system.
In a recent post on the official Final Fantasy XVI website, the developers explained that the update will introduce an entirely new leaderboard for tracking top scores in Arcade battles. This new scoring methodology will completely replace the old system. After downloading the update, players will only be able to record future scores using the revised calculations. Any existing scores on the previous leaderboard will remain, but they emphasized that people won’t be able add any new entries there.
While it seems likely this update aims to address potential exploits that allowed players to rack up extremely high Arcade scores, Square Enix did not elaborate on precisely how the revised system will quantify performance. The post mentioned the team will share more specific details about the ins and outs of the new calculations once the patch deploys on December 8th.
Understandably, some fans may find this news a bit disappointing if they were hoping for more story content or gameplay additions. However, during a November interview, creative director Hiroshi Takai confirmed that the team is hard at work on meaty downloadable expansions for Final Fantasy XVI. Though still shrouded in mystery, he promised fans can expect to learn more about their DLC plans before 2023 comes to an end.
What Shape Will the Expansions Take?
With few solid details available, speculation has begun brewing amongst Final Fantasy XVI communities about what these upcoming expansions might include. Some fans theorize they could revolve around fleshing out backstories of side characters like Barnabas the mechanic or Cid the scholar. Others suspect they may focus on playable flashback sequences from other points on the timeline, like the early days of Joshua and Clive’s training.
Of course, some campaign DLCs for RPG titles feature entirely new story arcs separate from the main narrative. If Square Enix elects to take Final Fantasy XVI in that direction, it would afford nearly endless possibilities in terms of new enemies, regions, and quests they could add. However the content shapes up, focusing it around player-favorite characters or unresolved plot threads could help ensure strong enthusiasm.
The developers have emphasized these expansions will come with a cost. So likely they will represent significant content drops rather than minor ancillary additions. While no hints about pricing have emerged yet, using past Final Fantasy DLCs as a benchmark points to the likelihood of $20 per expansion being a reasonable guess.
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Arcade Patch Still Crucial for Competitive Integrity
While unlikely to satisfy fans hungry for new adventures alongside Clive and his allies, next week’s patch may still prove important for maintaining competitive integrity on the title’s leaderboards. If high Arcade scores don’t accurately reflect player proficiency in the battle arena, it could undermine motivation to engage with that part of the experience. Tightening up exploitable loopholes now would help uphold interest in pushing for top ranks.
And the door seems open for more exciting additions down the road. So Final Fantasy XVI devotees would be wise not to lose hope. Square Enix has shown commitment to nurturing their latest epic RPG long-term. Even if next week’s update itself may not be earth shattering, it’s likely just one small step on a much larger journey still being written.
