At the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Berlin, FFXIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida explained why remaking classic entries such as Final Fantasy VI, VIII and IX would be a far larger undertaking than the Final Fantasy VII Remake project.
The comments came during "Naoki's Room," an on-stage conversation that featured Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi alongside translators and a live audience.
Hamaguchi reiterated a commonly reported point about his personal history with the series, clarifying that while Final Fantasy VI is one of the games that inspired him to work in games, that does not mean he is currently developing a remake.
In his words, he has often told interviewers that Final Fantasy VI shaped his career, and media outlets have repeatedly misread those remarks as confirmation he is making a remake — which he denied.
Yoshida framed the lack of remakes for those particular entries as a practical question of scale.
He told the audience that Final Fantasy VI is an "incredibly huge game," and said the same applies to VIII and IX.
Yoshida argued that producing faithful, modern remakes of those titles would likely require dividing each project into multiple releases, possibly four or five instalments — a scope he described as larger than the multi-part approach already used for the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.
Hamaguchi used the moment to praise the team behind the Final Fantasy VII Remake projects, acknowledging their loyalty and long-term commitment.
He said he feels fortunate to have a development group that has stayed with the multi-part remake effort across more than a decade, and that their dedication has been essential as the team works toward the series' completion.
Both Yoshida and Hamaguchi's remarks highlight the logistical and creative challenges of converting beloved, sprawling JRPGs into modern, multi-release experiences.
While Square Enix has released many classic Final Fantasy titles on contemporary platforms — including re-releases available on the Nintendo Switch eShop and other storefronts — the company has not announced multi-part remakes for Final Fantasy VI, VIII or IX.
The comments came during "Naoki's Room," an on-stage conversation that featured Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi alongside translators and a live audience.
Hamaguchi reiterated a commonly reported point about his personal history with the series, clarifying that while Final Fantasy VI is one of the games that inspired him to work in games, that does not mean he is currently developing a remake.
In his words, he has often told interviewers that Final Fantasy VI shaped his career, and media outlets have repeatedly misread those remarks as confirmation he is making a remake — which he denied.
Yoshida framed the lack of remakes for those particular entries as a practical question of scale.
He told the audience that Final Fantasy VI is an "incredibly huge game," and said the same applies to VIII and IX.
Yoshida argued that producing faithful, modern remakes of those titles would likely require dividing each project into multiple releases, possibly four or five instalments — a scope he described as larger than the multi-part approach already used for the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.
Hamaguchi used the moment to praise the team behind the Final Fantasy VII Remake projects, acknowledging their loyalty and long-term commitment.
He said he feels fortunate to have a development group that has stayed with the multi-part remake effort across more than a decade, and that their dedication has been essential as the team works toward the series' completion.
Both Yoshida and Hamaguchi's remarks highlight the logistical and creative challenges of converting beloved, sprawling JRPGs into modern, multi-release experiences.
While Square Enix has released many classic Final Fantasy titles on contemporary platforms — including re-releases available on the Nintendo Switch eShop and other storefronts — the company has not announced multi-part remakes for Final Fantasy VI, VIII or IX.
