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‘Final Fantasy XV’ Streaming Event Scheduled, New Screenshots Unveil Magic And Magitek Armor

By Asma M
Published on: 22:54 PST, Jan 25, 2016

Final Fantasy XV fans eager for a development update can get the latest details in the next Active Time Report stream hosted by Square Enix Presents on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. PST. Square Enix reports Director Hajime Tabata and Global Marketing Director Akio Ofuji are poised to share more about how magic works in battle, and reveal details about an upcoming Final Fantasy XV event in March.

On the official Square Enix Blog, Tabata opened the new year by confirming the release of Final Fantasy XV sometime in 2016.

“We will finally release FFXV this year, in 2016! In development, previous phases required wisdom and strength. However, moving forward the final phase will focus on effort and willpower.

“I vow to you all that every member in the team will do their best to the very last possible moment taking responsibility and pride in their craft.”

Although the release date for the game has been narrowed down to sometime this year, an exact date has yet to be specified. At PAX Prime in August 2015, Siliconera reported that Tabata stated the Final Fantasy XV release date would be announced during a special event in March 2016. According to the latest press release from Square Enix, details about the March 2016 event will be revealed in the upcoming Active Time Report. Fans can tune in to the streaming event by tuning in to YouTube at the following address: www.youtube.com/squareenixpresents.

To whet fans’ appetites until the Active Time Report, new screenshots serve as the proverbial appetizer. New battle screenshots provide a taste of how magic fits into the scheme of the open-world Final Fantasy XV. For starters, terrain appears to be more than just a pretty backdrop. As seen in the above screenshot, using fire on grassy plains can set the turf a blaze to turn the tide of battle. It’s a feature that looks to bring a little more reality to the Final Fantasy franchise.

Keeping XV grounded in its roots, however, the concept of Magitek Armor from Final Fantasy VI appears to be making a comeback. In the following screenshot, Noctis appears to be fighting against a Magitek-armored troop of some kind. It’s not clear whether or not Noctis will get to don the armor himself, but that detail may be expanded upon further during the Active Time Report.

Not all magic in Final Fantasy XV is going to be flashy and bright, either. As seen in the Episode Duscae demo, Noctis is a prince in hiding. Magic may come in handy when escaping from Niflheim soldiers or sneaking into their territory unnoticed.

Square Enix also teases more story details, specifically about the Niflheim empire and its “warmongering” ways, will be another topic of discussion during the January Active Time Report. The Tokyo Game Show in September 2015 was the last time prospective players learned anything new about the lore of the land.

With juicy new tidbits about Niflheim, the latest battle scenes featuring magic and Magitek, plus a major March event reveal, Final Fantasy XV fans may not want to miss the English-subtitled, streaming event courtesy of Square Enix Presents.

[Photo via Square Enix]

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