Sony Reportedly Paid Square Enix To Block Final Fantasy XVI From Xbox

It’s been more than a week since Judge Corley gave her final verdict in the FTC v. Microsoft case. The Xbox maker eventually won against the US regulator while keeping hopes alive for completing the $75 billion deal with Call of Duty publisher Activision. While the case is over already, it seems like gaming fans are still busy discussing the shocking details that were revealed publicly throughout the hearing’s entire duration.

Recently, some of the Xbox supporters noticed a piece of crucial information that was shared in a document related to the case. Apparently, the surprising detail is connected to PlayStation maker Sony and this year’s PS5 exclusive game Final Fantasy XVI. Going by this document, it looks like Sony reportedly had a deal to stop the game from releasing on Xbox.

Did Sony really pay Square Enix to prevent Final Fantasy XVI from coming to Xbox?

In case anyone missed keeping track of events, there was a document revealed by Judge Corley in the legal battle between Microsoft and FTC. Coming as no surprise, it contained a lot of unexpected details. Interestingly, there was also a particular section in it that unveiled some unknown facts about Final Fantasy XVI and its Xbox connection.

On the 10th page of the 53-page document, it’s written that Sony paid other studios to “skip” Xbox – either entirely or to delay a title’s release on Microsoft’s console. In fact, there’s also an example given that reveals the PlayStation giant’s deal with Final Fantasy XVI developer and publisher Square Enix. Apparently, it was done to exclude the game from Xbox.

READ MORE: Microsoft Had Plans To “Spend Sony Out of Business” To Boost Xbox, Reveals Internal Email

Final Fantasy XVI is the latest installment in the long-running franchise by Square Enix. While it was perceived as an exclusive to PS5 ahead of launch, now it seems like it could have arrived on the Xbox too. Sadly, this possibility couldn’t transform into a reality. The aforementioned document also revealed that previous versions of FF titles did arrive on Microsoft’s consoles as well.

During the hearing last month, another piece of news was shared publicly that Sony had tried to make Starfield a PlayStation exclusive too. Due to this reason, Microsoft ended up buying ZeniMax – the parent company of the upcoming game’s developer Bethesda. This particular intel is also written in the section from the court document.

What are your thoughts on this latest update following the result of the high-profile case between Microsoft and FTC? Let us know in the comments.

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