In a bit of news that isn’t exactly surprising to anyone who follows video game happenings or has an understanding of high-profile projects within a company, Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy XV is far into development now, with the title taking up a high priority.

Speaking with Videogamer, series producer Yoshinori Kitase explained, “We can’t give too much information but certainly looking at Final Fantasy XV, it’s not as if it’s in competition with Kingdom Hearts 3 for resources or anything like that. It’s quite far into development now and it is being given a very high priority within the company itself, but that doesn’t mean Kingdom Hearts isn’t.”

Kitase also reiterated that, despite its name change, FFXV still remains firmly held within the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology – although its connection with XIII exists as something similar to a set of guidelines rather than a direct connection.

“Right from the start when we first it announced it as Versus XIII, the game itself was backed up by the same Crystal legend: the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology that underpins the whole of the XIII series. So even though it’s not necessarily the same universe or the same game, they’re all linked and underpinned by the backdrop of that legend.

“Now it’s moved on – obviously the title’s been changed to Final Fantasy XV – but that hasn’t actually changed. The story and the world is still going to be linked and backed up by that. So yes, there is the link between XIII and XV, and they both share that mythology as a backdrop and a starting point.”

Kitase goes on to talk a bit about the new generation gaming platforms as well as the potential for the reuse or recreation of older FF battle systems in future games. You can read more at the original source here.