Final Fantasy 16's Latest Update Makes Its Cutest Feature Even Better

gamerant.com:

Alongside its second paid expansion, Final Fantasy 16 Patch 1.31 improved the ability for players to pet Torgal by shortening the cooldown between petting animations. This improvement to Final Fantasy 16 was released alongside The Rising Tide DLC, and FF16 fans quickly pointed out the change to the game's cutest feature.

In Final Fantasy 16, Torgal is a frost wolf who travels alongside Clive and his companions throughout the story. Having been alongside Clive since he was a pup, the two were separated following the tragedy at the Phoenix Gate. However, Clive and Torgal were reunited years later thanks to the timely intervention of Cid, the Dominant of Ramuh. In combat, Torgal is the only character besides Clive that the player can command to Heal, Sic, or Ravage, depending on the situation. Between battles, Clive can pet Torgal on command and different animations for giving the dog some attention will play randomly. Since the release of Final Fantasy 16, players and Square Enix have made petting Torgal one of the high points amid an otherwise grim tale.

With the release of Final Fantasy 16 Patch 1.31 and The Rising Tide DLC on April 18, petting Torgal became an easier feat than it already is. According to the patch notes, which were further highlighted by Reddit users such as name-unkn0wn on the r/FFXVI subreddit, Square Enix adjusted when Torgal could receive pettings, and lowered the cooldown between petting sessions by a slight amount. The change was made alongside other changes that Clive received in The Rising Tide, which included buffs to Bahamut's and Odin's Eikonic Feats and some accessories that improved some moves learned from Garuda, Titan, and Odin.

Although this change has no bearing on Torgal's efficiency in battle, it allows Final Fantasy 16 trophy hunters to earn the «You Can Pet the Dog» bronze trophy slightly faster than before, due to the shortened cooldown between petting. In response to the news, some Final Fantasy 16 players on the r/FFXVI