the future of the game and of DUNGEONS

[aveyond-dreams]

Most Final Fantasy games are solo experiences. A lot of Final Fantasy players steer clear of XI and XIV because they do not want to be in a multiplayer setting. Trusts alleviate this and create more immersive gameplay for them, and also alleviate longer queue times for obsolete level cap dungeons that take ages to pop in duty finder.

This will enable them to draw more from their intended consumer base by removing the major roadblock to their enjoyment of the game.

Given how strained the team has been since, forever basically, I have no problem with them taking some weeks off for a vacation. Advanced dungeon content will come in the form of Criterion dungeons, though I have no idea what it will entail. Right now we just had a major expansion drop and the main features of each patch have been revealed until 7.0. There will be enough content for all, though it will not cater exclusively to any given group.

As for the subject of FFXVI:
Smooth extended preproduction stage allowed them to make a lot of progress once production actually began
Script and story was solidified without any major complications
Voice acting in British English already has been completed
Impact of Covid-19 -> many graphical improvements they wanted to make in wake of player feedback was delayed significantly, along with a lack of graphic resources (3d models for characters, enemies, etc) that were not finished on time caused a 6-month delay in the intended schedule.
Battle refinement is still ongoing
They will not show the game until it is essentially ready for pre-orders, they almost certainly want to mimic the lead-up to how FFXIV announces its expansions

Given that FFXVI is a mainline Final Fantasy title, its success is critical to the overall reputation of Square Enix as a whole. SE has already endured various disaster game launches like Marvel's Avengers, etc and its reputation was further strained by the 10+ year development of FFXV, which could only be considered a full game after its Royal Edition release several years after its initial launch. It is therefore reasonable for members of staff to devote some time towards its development so that the game redeems the series, rather than to be a stain on it like some consider FFXV to be.