GameSpot recently released a FFXVI interview featuring Producer Naoki Yoshida’s full explanation on how its Eikons came to be. It turns out this installment’s version of summons were first conceived during a Tokyo Game Show 2014 experience Yoshida had. Later, when he ended up working on the latest mainline Final Fantasy game, he pulled from that idea for the Dominants and Eikons system we see in-game. The full interview also includes insights from Main Director Hiroshi Takai.
Here is Yoshida’s full statement given to GameSpot regarding the inspiration behind FFXVI Eikons:
It was an idea I just happened to already have in mind. I was at Tokyo Game Show in 2014, and the venue was extremely crowded. I had to go to all these different streaming booths and needed to move around a lot. When I had to return to the Square Enix booth, there was a giant Chocobo and a giant Moogle hung above the booth so you know it’s over there. But it was so far! As the scene unfolded before me, a thought crossed my mind, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could transform into Ifrit right now? Everyone would run away, and I’d be back at the booth in a single stride.”
But as I had this thought, the idea occurred to me of humans turning into summons, while still in possession of their own will. The scale of battles would jump up a whole other level — from human vs human, human vs monster — to one step further. And so, when it was decided that we would be making Final Fantasy XVI, I went to the main director and creative director and said, “I have this idea; what do you think? I would love to actually get to play these fierce battles between summons. How about it?” It was a pretty outrageous idea, but that was where it all started.
Here’s the official video clip from GameSpot featuring Yoshida.
How @FinalFantasy 16's devs came up with the idea of Eikons from a chaotic Tokyo Game Show experience @FF16_JP @SquareEnix
Full episode: https://t.co/qu0AQem8d8 pic.twitter.com/yYjdi4C2Qy
— GameSpot (@GameSpot) August 15, 2023
Final Fantasy XVI is available on the PS5. A six-month exclusivity period is in effect, and a PC port should follow.
