Yesterday, Square Enix launched a countdown to new information about Final Fantasy XV. Before long, it was revealed that the countdown would show the role Moogles play in Final Fantasy XV.

And when the countdown ended… we learned that Moogles will be items in Final Fantasy XV.

“Moogle dolls and goods” can be used as a “lucky charm” when you’re in trouble. So far, they haven’t explained how these items will help.

Final Fantasy VI had a Moogle Charm item that prevented random encounters. While Final Fantasy XV has no random encounters, maybe it wards away enemies. Maybe a Moogle toy will be a one-use item that lets you survive a fatal blow or something similar. Maybe it will summon a special Astral when you’re in danger. Those are my theories.

The greatest surprise is why they felt this needed a countdown. As for the Moogles themselves, this approach makes sense.

Moogles were once planned for Final Fantasy XV, since they’re a recurring staple of the series, but then they were dropped because they didn’t fit the world.

Square Enix later let fans vote on the issue, and both Japanese and Western audiences overwhelmingly said they wanted Moogles in Final Fantasy XV. Tabata responded by saying there will be a “fun little way” to include a non-chatty Moogle. Sounds like Moogle toys were pretty much to be expected at that point.

To celebrate the announcement, Square Enix is currently holding a new Twitter promotion. The more followers the official Twitter account gets, the more rewards will be unlocked, until they finally conclude with some sort of Moogle video, perhaps showing Final Fantasy XV’s Moogles in action.

What do you think about the role Moogles will play in Final Fantasy XV? Are you satisfied, or were you hoping for live Moogle characters? How do you think this “lucky charm” will function?

The news that Final Fantasy XV isn’t fully open world is still causing heated debates among fans. We’ve already discussed why you shouldn’t panic over it, but now we know why the second half is more linear, which should clear up concerns.

During the recent Dengeki PlayStation Premium Event, Tabata explained (warning: the summary contains information you might consider spoilers) that the party will travel by train during the second half.

You won’t be able to veer of the path if you’re on a train, so it can’t be as open as the earlier parts of the game.

Before you worry about this being a last-minute change, trains have been a part of Final Fantasy XV for quite a while. They’ve shown concept art of a transcontinental train, and in the Jump Festa 2015 trailer, there is a brief scene of Noctis in a snowy train car.

(Train at 2:00.)

When asked about it in a Q&A back in December 2014, Tabata clarified that “somewhere in the world, there’s a place that you get to by train.” He also said you can move freely around the train during the trip.

This all suggests the second half of the story requires you to travel somewhere only accessible by train. There is no reason to believe you won’t be able to explore and do side activities once you’re there. And remember, we know you’ll eventually get a flying car.

In other Final Fantasy XV news, Kingsglaive (digital) and Justice Monsters Five will both be available tomorrow. In fact, Kingsglaive is already out in the UK today!

Now that the reason has been given, how do you feel about Final Fantasy XV’s structure?