Square Enix director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura says there’s some big news on the way regarding his oft-delayed opus, Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
Nomura, the creator of Kingdom Hearts and the character designer for classic Square titles like Final Fantasy 7 and Parasite Eve, was a guest on the most recent episode of Square Enix’s Japanese podcast. The show’s hosts used this opportunity to ask Nomura about Versus XIII, which has been in development for about seven years. Nomura responded with the following (translation via Gematsu)
“Even within the company it’s a very delicate problem. The date when we can concretely lift the ban has been decided and we are preparing for that moment. Maybe the details as to why information couldn’t be released might be touched upon at the next information announcement. I’m sorry it’s already overdue, but please wait just a little more.”
Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been in development ever since 2005. Since then, the game has been delayed multiple times, and the title’s continued absence has caused many to label the title as “vaporware.” Square-Enix representatives have repeatedly refuted rumors that the game has been cancelled, though the latest rumors circulating around the title suggest that its assets and story are being reworked into a next-gen PS4 title, possibly Final Fantasy XV.
During last February’s Playstation Meeting press conference, Square Enix announced that they would officially unveil the next Final Fantasy at this year’s E3. Since E3 is only a few weeks away, the timing of Nomura’s statements seems to suggest that the Final Fantasy XV rumors might be true.