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In a weirdly surprising turn of events,Final Fantasy 16became available for everyone with a PS Plus Extra or Premium subscription to download—without any official announcement from Sony or Square Enix.
This unexpected gift didn’t stay under the radar for very long, as the news spread like wildfire on social media. Players rushed to get their hands on the game before anything else could happen, but the question is: Was this an intentional move, or did someone at Sony make a colossal mistake?
Some PlayStation Users Just Had Their Final Fantasy 16 Dream Fulfilled
Final Fantasy 16originally launched on August 19, 2025, as a PS5 exclusive. A PC release is on the horizon, scheduled for September 2024.
However, less than 24 hours ago, some players discovered that the game was available for download through the PS Plus Extra and Premium games catalog. The game was marked as included with the subscription, despite there being no word from Sony.
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 streamingpic.twitter.com/dE1R15fj6x
The fact that it only appeared as downloadable on the PS5 itself, and not in the PS App (which still showed purchase options), only confused people more.
Final Fantasy 16: Echoes of the Fallen DLC Review (PS5)
But when several users on social media confirmed they could download and play the game without inserting their physical discs, all chaos broke loose.
That’s a crazy shadow drop , I hope new players get to see and actually give FF franchise a try
Some people were convinced this was a shadow drop from PlayStation, which would’ve been an insane move. “Would’ve” isthe key word here, as the illusion of the company’s generosity shattered pretty quickly.
Fans Mourn Their Five Minutes of Fun
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The hand that giveth, also taketh—as quickly as the secret was discovered, the title was revoked from people’s accounts.
Just got it revoked after playing for abit 😔pic.twitter.com/J0h6EXP6fB
Players are reporting from all over the world that the game isn’t available to download anymore either.
No way they would put this in +, let alone shadow drop it right before the PC release.
Some people were doubtful from the start that this was a masterstroke from Sony for several reasons.
With the PC release happening so soonand the game being as new and popular of a title as it is, it wouldn’t make sense to put it on the subscription model.
That being said, we assume it would take more than a few accidental button presses to make a mistake like this. The situation is messy, but could this be a positive indicator for a future catalog addition?
Do you thinkFinal Fantasy 16will ever come to PS Plus, or is it a far-fetched dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Vibha Hegde
Critic/Gaming Writer
Articles Published :594
Vibha is an avid gamer that has been writing about video games for several years. When they’re not complaining about the lack of a Bloodborne sequel or brushing up on the Yokoverse lore, Vibha is busy watching 3-hour video essays on horror games they’re too scared to play themselves.
