Final Fantasy 15 DLC cancelled as director leaves Square Enix
Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy 15, has left the company following the reporting of an ‘extraordinary loss‘ of 3,733 million yen in a recent financial earnings call.
Previously, several new episodes based on characters Aranea, Noctis and Lunafreya were planned for release in 2019, but these have now been cancelled.
Luminous Productions, Tabata’s own production studio, was cited in Square Enix’s statement regarding recent losses, which may have lead to this development.
The announcement of Tabata’s departure was made as part of a recent livestream concerning Final Fantasy 15’s development and upcoming releases for the title.
‘I honestly believe the reason we were able to get this far is that of all you loyal fans. I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Tabata said in his resignation statement.
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“I have a project that I truly wish to solidify as my next challenge after FFXV. For that reason, I have decided to leave my current position and start my own business in order to achieve my goal,” he explained.
“From this day on, I will cheer on and support Square Enix and Luminous Productions together with all you fans. I would like to thank everyone who continues to support FFXV and those who have also supported myself personally,” Tabata added.
A fourth downloadable episode based on Ardyn remains in development, although this will be one of the last major pieces of content produced for Final Fantasy 15.
Final Fantasy XV global brand director, Akio Ofuji, has said that further resources will be dedicated to a new project in development at Luminous Productions now planned DLC has been canned. Whether this is FF-related or not remains to be seen.
Since its release, Final Fantasy 15 has sold 8 million copies, having been hailed as a critical and commercial success for Square Enix. It’s also received an abundance of content updates since launch in the form of new episodes or major changes to later chapters in the game.
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Final Fantasy 15’s multiplayer expansion, Comrades, will receive a standalone release across PS4, Xbox One and PC on December 13. Those who already own the expansion will receive its new standalone version at no extra cost.
The livestream also saw the announcement of an upcoming crossover between FF15 and FF14: A Realm Reborn. A special event known as “Adventurer from Another World” will debut in FF15 from December 12.
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