In a surprise move, Final Fantasy XVI has reportedly become available on PlayStation Plus Premium for some users in the United States. Sony or Square Enix did not previously announce the addition of this high-profile title to the subscription service.
The game’s availability was first noticed and reported by prominent gaming deal tracker Wario64 on Twitter. According to their post, Final Fantasy XVI is accessible through the PS5 console for PS+ Premium subscribers. Wario64 also noted that they were able to load their retail save file and play the game without a disc inserted.
Might be an error, but Final Fantasy XVI does show up on PS+ Premium for me but only through the PS5 console (US PS+). Was able to load my retail save file.
Game loaded with my retail install (without disc inserted) and on game streaming pic.twitter.com/dE1R15fj6x
— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 30, 2024
Other users have since corroborated this information. One twitter user RadicHedgehog excitedly called the unexpected PS Plus release of Final Fantasy XVI “the greatest thing,” as they can now play the game.
Can confirm. Just clicked download and as I already have the retail game installed I’m able to play my game without disc as well. Very cool pic.twitter.com/0ZMGz4iUBZ
— ⛓🔥 J̷̧̛̦̘̳͙̳̐͊́̚̚a̵͇͇̫͔̫̙̤͓̣͠c̵̻͉͈̮͒̅͆͛̓̓̄̕ob🔥⛓ (@trenard2000) August 30, 2024
Furthermore, some users have begun speculating about the reasons behind this sudden appearance. Twitter user ZakkenKloot suggested that Square Enix will announce Final Fantasy XVI for Xbox next month and release it on Game Pass, prompting them to add it to PS+ as compensation.
As of now, there has been no official statement from Sony or Square Enix regarding Final Fantasy XVI’s inclusion in the PlayStation Plus Premium lineup. Additionally, the game’s unannounced appearance on the service could potentially be an error. Players with access to a PS5 and a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription may want to check their console to see if they can access the game.