Summary
In a recent interview with the former President of SIE Worldwide Studios Shohei Yoshida,Final Fantasy 16producer Naoki Yoshida stated that younger developers should head a potentialFinal Fantasy 17over the old guard. Though the interview touched upon the development ofFinal Fantasy 16, Naoki Yoshida said that nothing has been decided as far as the franchise’s future goes.
The interview came out astheFinal Fantasyseries geared up for a busy 2024release schedule, with Yoshida and Creative Business Unit 3 (CBU3) at the helm of two titles. One of the most anticipated games of early 2024,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill kick things off for Square Enix on February 29. As for CBU3,Final Fantasy 16’s second DLC,The Rising Tide, will launch sometime in the spring. Finally, the summer will see the release ofFinal Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, the game’s fifth expansion. At the time of writing, neitherDawntrailnorThe Rising Tidehad concrete release dates, so fans must hold on for more information.
Though he had to choose his words carefully, the producer ofFF14andFF16gave fans some tidbits to chew on. Over an hour into the interview hosted by Shuhei Yoshida on the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' YouTube channel, the head of Creative Business Unit 3 pondered if younger developers would be the ones to lead a potentialFinal Fantasy 17project. Yoshida reemphasized that nothing had been decided on the development side by Square Enix. Yoshida said that, after working on two mainlineFinal Fantasyentries, it would be good to see new developers and new leaders have the chance to bring new ideas andnew stories to theFinal Fantasyfranchise, rather than the old guard that has been with the series for years.
“For the moment, I’ll just say nothing’s been decided yet. That said, if I had to say anything about that… I’ve had the chance to work on two of these, XIV and XVI, so maybe it’s time for someone new, you know. Instead of having the same old guys handle the next one, I think in some ways it would be good to look to the future and bring in a younger generation, with more youthful sensibilities, to make a new FF with challenges that suit today’s world.” - Naoki Yoshida
Given that theFinal Fantasyseries has a reputation for adapting and evolving from what came before, Yoshida hoped that whoever was in charge of the nextFinal Fantasygame would have the mentality of making it the way they wanted. Whether it be an action-focusedentry likeFinal Fantasy 16or a return to the turn-based combat style featured in theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remastercollection, Yoshida said that the players having fun with the game years down the road should be what developers focus on when creating aFinal Fantasygame concept to work around.
With expansionslined up forFinal Fantasy 14andFinal Fantasy 16, Yoshida and his team will have their hands full in 2024. Only time will tell when and how the future of theFinal Fantasyseries will shape up.
Final Fantasy 16
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An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
