We’ve still got a few months before the action-heavy Final Fantasy XVI drops on June 22 for PlayStation 5. And in preparation for the RPG’s imminent release, Square Enix continues to show off more of the game’s various elements, from gameplay and cutscenes to characters and Eikon battles. While we’ve known that you could pet the new fur companion Torgal, producer Naoki Yoshida left fans aghast at his failed attempt at showing the wolf buddy love.
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The 16th mainline entry in the long-running RPG franchise, FFXVI sees protagonist Clive Rosfield seeking revenge on the bastards who killed his brother and demolished his kingdom. In typical fantasy action-adventure game fashion, you’ll employ a variety of magic spells and sword attacks to bury the evildoers you’ll encounter on your vengeful path. But Clive isn’t alone on his revenge quest as he’s joined by a rotating party of AI-controlled companions that can gang up on enemies with him. Torgal is one of them. Unfortunately, in a PAX East gameplay demonstration, Yoshida fucked up and attacked Torgal when all he was trying to do was pet the adorable and fluffy wolf partner.
No, you can’t kill the Torgal
Square Enix hosted a FFXVI panel during last weekend’s PAX East convention. Titled “Yes, You Can Pet the Torgal,” the hour-long discussion was on more than just the wolf. There were segments on the characters and world, gameplay sequences in multiple locations, and breakdowns on which in-game moments were quick-time events, as well as the promise that more RPG elements will be shown in April. Tucked away in the chat was Yoshida attempting to prove the panel’s title correct, that you could, in fact, pet Torgal. However, in trying to show Torgal some love, Yoshida pulled out Clive’s big, flaming sword and attacked the cute pup to the crowd’s utter horror.
With a Torgal plushie on his lap and the DualSense in his hands, Yoshida walked Clive up to the wolf companion and tried to press X to interact. Instead, though, Yoshida put Clive on the offensive, making him swing his sword at the wolf. The crowd screamed. Localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox smacked Yoshida’s right arm. Yoshida apologized. It was a devastating moment. Thankfully, Torgal, the nimble pup he is, dodged Clive’s sword swing.
“Can you kill the Torgal?” Fox asked. “No, pet.”
Yoshida admitted he pressed the wrong button, eventually showing that not only can Clive pet Torgal, but he can also give the wolfie treats. Which is good, especially considering how much of a good boy Torgal is in the game when combo-ing up enemies at the simple press of a button. He deserves treats.
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While much remains to be seen about Final Fantasy XVI, at least we now know that you can’t kill Torgal. I don’t know who would want to do that anyway. Torgal is such a cute, good, sweet boy who should be given nothing but love. I will protect him with my life, so back off! Don’t even try attacking him, Yoshida.