Project Athia - What We Know So Far

Back in June 2020, at Sony's The Future of Gaming reveal event, Square Enix debuted the trailer for a mysterious action-adventure game it called Project Athia – a working title. The project is being developed by Luminous Productions, which was formed out of the team that developed Final Fantasy 15. So far, not much has been revealed about the game, which is described in a PlayStation blog post from Luminous head Takeshi Aramaki as transporting players "to a vast and detailed world filled with beauty and dismay." 

The open-world fantasy role-playing game definitely looks like it shares a heritage with Final Fantasy – so much so that some fans have wondered if Project Athia is actually a new Final Fantasy title, hidden under a different name. But this doesn't really jibe with what's been given out about the game so far, including a comment from Aramaki, who said, "Project Athia is the culmination of our philosophy here at Luminous Productions to create completely new and fresh gaming experiences that fuse together the latest technologies with art."

Here's what we know about Project Athia so far.

Sony revealed during its CES 2021 digital press event video (at the 10:38 mark) that Project Athia will be released in January 2022. During a trailer showcasing PlayStation 5 games from December 7, 2020, it also listed the title as a PS5 console exclusive. The game will be released for PCs, too, but will not come to other consoles for at least 24 months after its release date. 

While PlayStation exclusivity wasn't much of a shock, as Final Fantasy 16 has already been announced as a Playstation 5 timed exclusive, Project Athia's release date came as a bit of a surprise, considering how little industry-watchers have seen from the game. A year out from release, games often have a bit more to show for their developer's efforts. Nevertheless, it gives fans of Square Enix something to look forward to in the coming months, as we'll surely see more from Project Athia soon.

The teaser trailer shown during the PS5 livestream is short and tantalizing and remains some of the only footage of the game currently available to the public. It features the words, "In a world not her own/ where resolve will be tested/ truths will be questioned/ and devotions will be doubted/ she will rise." The video shows a woman who must be from our world, based on her sneakers, negotiating a world that features giant creatures, creepy ruins, magic, and beautiful natural surroundings. 

Last fall, Luminous Productions displayed some of the capabilities of its proprietary Luminous Engine, which will be used to make the world of Project Athia, in a video release. That short preview also offers gorgeous and realistic animation that fans may see in the upcoming game. Additionally, it set out some sophisticated editing abilities that could indicate the possibility of time-of-day cycling and other interesting features in Project Athia. 

Details of Project Athia's plot remain few and far between. It'll feature a young, agile woman, possibly named Athia, traversing a strange world and possibly fighting with and wielding natural elements. The trailer hints that fantasy combat and platforming will be involved in this adventure, along with dragons, wolves, and a creature that looks a bit like a Dungeons & Dragons beholder.

The game's story is being written by Gary Whitta. The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story writer said on Twitter just after the game announcement in June 2020 that he was "really proud to reveal that [he] led a crack team of A-list writers from the worlds of film, tv, games, and fantasy literature who helped create this immense new universe for [Square Enix]."

Everything fans are hearing sounds promising, and the appearance of Project Athia to date seems to bear out an optimistic outlook about what's coming. However, many things can change between now and release, including the game's name, so stay tuned for more.