Fans of the much-awaited but long overdue action role-playing game Final Fantasy 15 can finally heave a sigh of relief. The game referred to as Final Fantasy XV is reported to finally arrive next year after many years of uncertainty.

In an interview with Gamespot, director Hajime Tabata mentioned that the upcoming RPG will not come out this year, but it will be released sooner than the rumored release date in 2017. Tabata said, "It's going to be before that. At the very least, I can tell you that it isn't going to be released this year. I think we'll be able to tell you when we're making the announcement around PAX Prime, at the end of this month."

His statement apparently points to a certain date in 2016.  The PAX Prime event he mentioned will be held in Seattle this coming August 28 to 31. So by that time, we can expect Square Enix to share an exact Final Fantasy 15 release date. 

The recent Gamescom 2015 trade fair has also provided us plenty of details about the 15th major installment in the Final Fantasy series. A new "Dawn" trailer has been shared during the event giving us a glimpse into the game's backstory.

Set 15 years before the events at Final Fantasy 15, one of the scenes from the 3-minute clip portrays King Regis holding a young Prince Noctis. They were focused for several seconds until the camera pans out to reveal three mysterious and massive figures looming in the distance.

The trailer delivers a good look into the game's distinct fantasy-meets-modern setting, as described by The Verge. The clip showcases a place where luxury cars and automatic guns are used alongside swords and glistening suits of armor. It is posted in Square Enix' official YouTube page; Final Fantasy fans can watch it right here.

The game has been in development for almost a decade now since Square Enix unveiled it at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May 2006. Back then, it was intended to be released for the PlayStation 3 under the original title "Final Fantasy Versus 13."

With this news coming from the game's director himself, eagerly waiting fans may finally have a chance to play the game next year. The game is set to launch on the current generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. For those who want to be among the first to get it, they can do so by pre-ordering Final Fantasy 15 here.