During today’s State of Play presentation, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida shared 20 minutes of footage that highlighted the game’s fast-paced action combat and its large scale encounters with the formidable Eikons – summoned by their Dominants to devastate one another. We also got a lot of quick cuts of scenes involving some of the characters Clive will meet on his journey, and the base he’ll operate from: The Hideaway.

To close the presentation, Yoshida announced that Japanese artist Kenshi Yonezu will compose and perform a song for the game: “Tsuki Wo Miteita” or “Moongazing”. The artist is prominently known for composing Vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi, but later released music performed with his own voice. To date, he has released five albums, the latest of which “Stray Sheep” came out in 2020 and became the world’s third best selling album of the year.

Yonezu wrote, shortly after the reveal: “Words cannot express the impact Final Fantasy series has had on my life. I never thought or imagined that I would ever receive an opportunity like this. I wrote this song especially for the game. Thank you.” Yoshida added that he’s a fan of Yonezu’s work and that the artist “creates music that resonates across generations, so I was sure that he’d be able to capture the world, the story, and the themes of FFXVI.”

The generational aspect of Yonezu’s work may be apt, as the game features protagonist Clive Rosfield at different stages during his life: particularly his teens, twenties, and thirties. In the earliest period, which is portrayed as a flashback section of the game not long after the opening, a young Clive can be seen moon-gazing, perhaps unaware of the tragedy that is about to befall him.

You can catch a sample of the song in the video below.

Final Fantasy XVI is set to release on June 22, 2023 for PlayStation 5.