Final Fantasy 16 – Update 1.31 is Live Ahead of The Rising Tide’s Release

Final Fantasy 14 is currently being targeted by a DDoS attack, causing disruption to fans attempting to play the game. Until it is resolved, Final Fantasy 14 players may want to hold off on attempting to log into the critically-acclaimed MMORPG.

Final Fantasy 14 players waiting for Dawntrail news will soon be in luck, as Square Enix announced that the next Letter from the Producer Live broadcast and the updated Dawntrail benchmark are right around the corner. The 81st Live Letter will air on the morning of May 16, and the updated Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail PC benchmark is slated to be released during the week of May 23.

Square-Enix has officially acknowledged a recently discovered bug revolving around Final Fantasy 16's New Game+ mode, resulting in a soft lock that does not allow players to progress. The launch of the newest main-series entry in the long-running RPG franchise last summer came with critical acclaim, lauded at the time as one of the best RPGs of 2023. Final Fantasy 16 received a nomination for «Best Role-Playing Game» at the 2023 Game Awards, and won the award for «Best Score and Music» during the show. Now, a new bug is plaguing fans' new playthroughs of the game.

Alongside its second paid expansion, Final Fantasy 16 Patch 1.31 improved the ability for players to pet Torgal by shortening the cooldown between petting animations. This improvement to Final Fantasy 16 was released alongside The Rising Tide DLC, and FF16 fans quickly pointed out the change to the game's cutest feature.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's co-director, Motomu Toriyama, recently unveiled the poignant lines spoken by Cloud during Aerith's death scene: «My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!» Toriyama's insight into this pivotal moment in the game has sparked discussions among players, providing clarity and context to a scene that holds immense emotional weight for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans.

As the wait for the next expansion continues, Final Fantasy 14 confirmed that the Yo-Kai Watch collaboration event would return to the game for players to experience. The event will give Final Fantasy 14 players who missed out on previous Yo-Kai Watch events a chance to earn exclusive mounts, minions, and cosmetic weapons for their collections, alongside a new reward for this iteration.

Square Enix has revealed the official patch notes for Final Fantasy 16 update 1.31, which releases alongside the game's second DLC expansion, The Rising Tide. This new Final Fantasy 16 update is required for players wanting to begin the new DLC scenario later this week.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 16 will receive its second and final paid DLC this week with The Rising Tide. Clive and friends will venture to a new location, Mysidia, to unravel the mystery of Leviathan, facing new challenges in the process. However, a free update will go live the same day and include new quality-of-life features like Quick Complete and Skill Sets.

Ahead of the release of the Dawntrail expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix has released a handy-dandy free benchmark tool for players to test whether their setup can handle 7.0’s improved visuals. The new update will improve textures, hair, grass, shadows, and reflections, and will be the title’s first graphical upgrade since it was released in 2013.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second part of the remake trilogy of the original game from 1997, was released in February. While developer Square Enix has not confirmed a launch date or the official title for the final game in the remake trilogy, the game should likely be released on PS5 sometime during the ongoing console generation cycle. Now, the studio has provided an update about the launch timeline for the third and final game in the Final Fantasy remake trilogy project.

Following the launch of the Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail benchmark, some players discovered an Easter egg that changes the default benchmark character to Hildibrand or Brandihild, depending on which PC time settings were changed. Final Fantasy 14 players shared the Easter egg on social media and discussed the methods that caused either character to appear.

Final Fantasy 16 voice actor Ben Starr, who plays protagonist Clive Rosfield, has humorously chimed in about a particular Cid – known in the series as a recurring character who's appeared in nearly all its entries. Starr, a self-professed fan of the franchise, has commented on previous Final Fantasy games with his opinions on various elements.