Here's when the Final Fantasy 15 release date will be announced

The release date for Final Fantasy XV will be announced in March, according to game director Hajime Tabata. In a New Year's Day announcement last week, Tabata confirmed that the long-in-development RPG will launch this year, but the game's exact release date has remained a mystery.

"This year is the year we'll release Final Fantasy XV," Tabata said in a new issue of Famitsu, as reported by NovaCrystallis. "Currently, we've decided on all of its specifications and the beta version is under production so we can shift into the debug phase."

He added: "We'll show the real XV during the release date announcement this March."

According to a Square Enix survey, the Japanese publisher may be eyeing a summer 2016 release window for Final Fantasy XV. However, this is not confirmed at this time.

You won't have to wait until March to learn more about Final Fantasy XV, however. The next Active Time Report, a live broadcast where new information about the game is expected to be divulged, is scheduled to take place later this month.

It's been a long time coming for Final Fantasy XV. The game was originally announced years ago as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It was later was re-named Final Fantasy XV and shifted from last-generation consoles to current platforms.

In his New Year's Day blog post, Tabata thanked fans for their support and promised that the team is working hard to make Final Fantasy XV a game that can meet fans' expectations.

"I vow to you all that every member in the team will do their best to the very last possible moment taking responsibility and pride in their craft," he said. "We will do everything we can do to finish FFXV to create an experience we are incredibly proud of and one that you will enjoy and treasure."

"The whole FFXV team appreciates all of the support from each and everyone one of you this past year. I cannot tell you how much it means to all of us."