Final Fantasy 16's summoning mechanic revolves around Eikons. Here's what we know so far about how they'll work in the upcoming RPG.
Summoning has been a core feature in Final Fantasy games throughout the series. While many of the games feature recurring summons suck as Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut and more, a lot of the time they won't be called summons. In Final Fantasy X, players could summon Aeons through Yuna. In Final Fantasy 13, each character unlocked their own Eidolon to summon. As for the upcoming Final Fantasy 16, it seems summons will be making a return, this time called Eikons.
Recently, Producer Naoki Yoshida revealed details about certain mechanics in Final Fantasy 16, including how Eikons will work. In an interview with Press Start, Yoshida compared Eikons in FF16's world of Valisthea as "nuclear bombs."
"Within the world of Valisthea, there are a lot of different nations and each nation has one of their own Eikons with the being awakening inside a single individual, although the rules as to how and within who that Eikon awakens differs between them.â
Eikons awaken in beings called Dominants, of which protagonist Clive Rosfield is one. Yoshida explained that the way Dominants use Eikons is by transforming into one.
"In previous Final Fantasies, it would always be that youâd have a summoner job who would use magic to summon forth the being from a different plane, but this time that Dominant actually summons forth the Eikonâs power by becoming the Eikon themselves,â Yoshida said.
Which Summons Will be in Final Fantasy 16?
Not every summon makes it into every Final Fantasy game, with certain entries often having a selection of previous and new summons to experience. So far, a number of classic summons have been confirmed as Eikons in Final Fantasy 16:
- Phoenix
- Titan
- Garuda
- Ramuh
- Shiva
- Odin
- Bahamut
- Ifrit
Eikons were highlighted in the game's recent State of Play trailer 'Dominance', where players were given a short glimpse into how the Eikons will look and fight in Final Fantasy 16. The signature attacks of summons will also be making a return, as seen in the trailer through Shiva's use of Diamond Dust. It's also shown how Eikons will face-off against each other in large battles.
It's unclear exactly how the Eikons will fit into the overall story, but it looks as though they're shaping up to be an important aspect this time around. As for protagonist Clive, so far it seems that his Eikon will be fire summon Ifrit.
Final Fantasy 16 is currently scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 during Summer 2023.
