Final Fantasy XVI, an action role-playing game developed, published, and released by Square Enix in 2023, is the sixteenth mainline entry in the Final Fantasy series. The game's world design was a collaborative effort between producer Naoki Yoshida, co-director Hiroshi Takai, co-director and lead writer Kazutoyo Maehiro, and art director Hiroshi Minagawa. The characters and Eikon summoned monsters were designed by Kazuya Takahashi, while Michael-Christopher Koji Fox handled localization and helped with writing.
The plot revolves around a resource war in the world of Valisthea, with magical beings dubbed Eikons and their human hosts−Dominants−playing key roles in the conflict. The main protagonist is Clive Rosfield, a son of the Duke of Rosaria who sets out on a quest for revenge after he is betrayed and becomes host of the mysterious Eikon Ifrit. His main companions are Jill Warrick, a former princess of the Northern Territories and Dominant of Shiva; and Cidolfus Telamon, a fighter for abused magic users and Dominant of Ramuh. Other major characters are Joshua Rosfield, Clive's younger brother and Dominant of Phoenix; Hugo Kupka, Dominant of Titan and key political figure in the Dhalmekian Republic; Barnabas Tharmr, king of Waloed and Dominant of Odin; Benedikta Harman, a Waloedan spy and Dominant of Garuda; and Dion Lesage, crown prince of Sanbreque and the Dominant of Bahamut.
The goal was a mature dark fantasy storyline, focusing on themes of love, the interdependence of good and evil, and clashing values. Maehiro created the world first based on the Eikons' central role. The team drew early inspiration from the television series Game of Thrones, alongside classic and contemporary anime. Takahashi's character designs, which are noted for having a light style, were adjusted to be darker and fit the world's aesthetic. The game's dub prioritized European voice actors over American ones, with English recording and motion capture coming before Japanese. Reception of the cast has been positive, with praise often going to Clive's character development and the English performances. Criticism has focused on the portrayal of its story themes. There was additional discussion on both the perceived lack of ethnic diversity in the world and cast, and its inclusion of LGBT characters.