Three of the four planned characters DLC for Final Fantasy XV have been canceled, Square-Enix has announced, and game director Hajime Tabata has left the company.
Although Final Fantasy XV Episode Aryden is still scheduled for release March 2019, the remaining three for Aranea, Lunafreya, and Noctis are getting scrapped. All four of these side-stories were planned for 2019 and would have offered an alternative finale to Final Fantasy XV.
However, since Tabata’s exit, there’s no hope for these episodes to be finished. Square-Enix announced that the director resigned in October and has left to start his own company. This is quite stunning news, especially since Tabata was only made the director of Luminous Productions – Square-Enix’s in-house studio for AAA games – March of this year. However, now that the Final Fantasy XV DLC is dead, the company will focus on a new game entirely.
Although Final Fantasy XV global brand director Akio Ofuji explained the situation in a YouTube video, Tabata offered his comments in a written statement:
It’s almost going to be 2 whole years since the release of FFXV. I honestly believe the reason we were able to get this far is because of all you loyal fans. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Today, I have a personal announcement to make to all of you. I, Hajime Tabata, will be resigning from Luminous Productions and the Square Enix Group as of October 31, 2018.
I was able to gain so much experience with my time at Square Enix. Every title I was able to be a part of means a lot to me. However, FFXV stood out from that group as it was a special project for me which I went all-in.
Therefore, I decided to take this opportunity to officially announce my departure from FFXV to all the fans who have supported the title across the globe.
In regards to my next endeavors and near future, 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.
As production of Episode Ardyn continues and Luminous Productions works on new projects, I felt that it was time for me to hand over the torch to the next generation group of talented and trustworthy colleagues and believe that they will create something amazing.
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 continue to support FFXV and those who have also supported myself personally.
Are you a fan of Final Fantasy XV? Are you disappointed about the fate of the Final Fantasy XV DLC? Share your opinions in the comments below!
