The creator of Final Fantasy does not want to return to the series

July 4, 2024

Highlights

With the re-release of Fantasian in 2024, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has reunited with Square Enix after two decades.
Some fans may hope that Sakaguchi will work on Final Fantasy again, but that is not likely.
Sakaguchi says he has moved on from his role as a Final Fantasy developer and is happy as a consumer.

The creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, revealed in a recent interview that he has no interest in returning to the series as a creator, as he has now happily switched to the role of consumer.

Last month’s Nintendo Direct had plenty of surprises in store for gamers, but one of the biggest was the revelation that Fantasian, a popular RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, is leaving its Apple Arcade exclusivity behind and coming to all consoles later this year. Not only is Fantasian getting a second chance with a larger audience, but it’s also kicking off a reunion tour of sorts.

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Shortly after Fantasian: Neo Dimension was revealed at Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that the publisher of the re-release would be Square Enix, who Sakaguchi of course worked with during his time on the Final Fantasy series. Sakaguchi and Square didn’t exactly part ways on good terms, so it was a shock to see them working together again after two decades.

Don’t expect Sakaguchi to return to Final Fantasy

A screenshot showing characters in Fantasian

Sakaguchi spoke about the strange circumstances surrounding the release of Fantasian: Neo Dimension in an interview with Bloomberg, comparing it to a high school reunion. Although some longtime Final Fantasy fans might hope this is a hint that Sakaguchi might return to the series, he confirmed that he is not interested in doing so.

Towards the end of the interview, Sakaguchi is asked what he plans to do next, and reveals that he has no interest in replaying Final Fantasy or any of the other franchises he’s worked on. Sakaguchi says this is mainly because he’s now “gone from being a creator to being a consumer,” but also notes that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy Final Fantasy 14, a game he plays frequently, as much if he were working on the series.

“If I ever return to the Final Fantasy brand, I don’t know if I’ll really enjoy Final Fantasy XIV as much.”

Bloomberg’s interview with Sakaguchi also confirms that he has no interest in porting or remastering some of the other major RPGs he’s worked on in his career, such as Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. There have been some rumors that Blue Dragon will return at some point (primarily prompted by the death of character designer Akira Toriyama), but it seems that this will happen without Sakaguchi.