Play Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 16 playedEvery mainline entry in release order. The stories stand alone, so this list sets the sequence, not prerequisites.
Classic era
- 1 Final Fantasy
- 2 Final Fantasy II
- 3 Final Fantasy III
- 4 Final Fantasy IV
- 5 Final Fantasy V
- 6 Final Fantasy VI
PS1 era
- 7 Final Fantasy VII Original game. The Remake trilogy retells this story as a separate project, see notes.
- 8 Final Fantasy VIII
- 9 Final Fantasy IX
PS2 era
- 10 Final Fantasy X
- 11 Final Fantasy XI MMO with its own standalone story. Optional.
- 12 Final Fantasy XII
Modern era
- 13 Final Fantasy XIII
- 14 Final Fantasy XIV MMO relaunched as A Realm Reborn in 2013. Optional.
- 15 Final Fantasy XV
- 16 Final Fantasy XVI
About Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy is an anthology series. Each numbered entry tells a self-contained story with its own cast and world, so no single plot runs from I to XVI. Release order works because the games build on shared ideas like jobs, summons and chocobos without spoiling each other.
For the first six games, the Pixel Remaster versions from 2021 and 2022 are the versions to play. The Final Fantasy VII Remake project is a separate retelling of VII, not a replacement for it, and it lands better after the 1997 original.
Good to know
Release order is the recommended play order here. Newcomers can start with X, which stands alone and stays the most approachable classic, or with VII Remake for modern action combat. The VII project runs Remake (2020), Rebirth (2024) and Revelation (dated April 8, 2027); play all three after the 1997 original. XVI (2023) is the latest mainline release, with PC and Xbox ports following in 2024 and 2025. XVII has not been announced; Square Enix only teased it on stage at the July 2026 Fan Fest in Berlin, so treat title or date rumors as unconfirmed.
