Square Enix has officially updated the PC version of Final Fantasy 16, removing the Denuvo anti-tamper technology. This change comes roughly six months after the game's release on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Denuvo, a digital rights management (DRM) system, is often seen as intrusive by PC gamers due to its potential impact on performance.  Its removal is generally good news for players, often leading to a smoother gaming experience.

The removal of Denuvo from Final Fantasy 16 follows a pattern established by Square Enix with other PC titles, such as The Diofield Chronicles, Forspoken, and Octopath Traveler. These games also saw Denuvo removed several months after their initial PC releases.

It remains to be seen whether the absence of Denuvo will noticeably affect Final Fantasy 16's performance on PC. The game already ran relatively well for players with sufficiently powerful GPUs, so any performance gains might be minimal.

While this Denuvo update is significant,  the future of Final Fantasy 16 may hold even more exciting developments. Rumors have circulated about a potential Xbox Series X/S release, though nothing has been officially confirmed by Square Enix.  Despite not appearing at the Xbox Developer Direct as some speculated, an Xbox port is still anticipated by many.

Fans of the game's director, Hiroshi Takai, can also look forward to his next project.  Following the completion of Final Fantasy 16 in late 2024, Takai began work on a new, currently unannounced game in 2025. Details about this project remain scarce, leaving fans to speculate about what he might be working on next.