Final Fantasy XVI playable demo goes live on June 12, new Ascension trailer released

Final Fantasy XVI releases in a matter of days, but fans will have a chance to get their hands on the game before they decide to make a purchase. With the latest trailer for the game, Square Enix confirmed that the Final Fantasy XVI playable demo will go live on June 12, 2023.

Check out the new trailer, titled "Ascension", below:

The new trailer shows off a montage of combat, Eikon battles, and story beats from the game's main scenario. Clive shares moments with allies like Cid, Jill, and Torgal, as well as clashes with foes like Hugo.

The demo will contain a prologue portion that introduces players to the story. It'll be heavy on narrative and last about two hours, and progress will carry over into the full game. Once the prologue section is complete, a special "battle demo" section will unlock. The battle demo will give players a free crack at the combat. The battle demo will also allow Clive to fight using Eikon abilities that he normally wouldn't have access to at that point in the story, the better to appreciate the system's depth.

The demo's debut timing appears to be set for 1:00 AM on June 12 Pacific Time, but Square Enix put up a slide to help people in other regions figure out when that is for them.

The Final Fantasy XVI playable demo will be available on June 12, 2023, on PlayStation 5. The game's full release date is set for June 22, 2023. Check out Alex and Jame's discussion of their experience at Square Enix's FFXVI preview event.