The success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has sparked ongoing discussions about whether other classic entries in Square Enix’s iconic RPG franchise could receive the same treatment. However, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida believes recreating older titles on a similar scale would be an even greater challenge.
Speaking during the Naoki’s Room panel at the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Berlin, Yoshida explained why future remakes of beloved games like Final Fantasy 6 could require significantly more development time and potentially be split across multiple releases.
Naoki Yoshida says Final Fantasy 6 is too large for a single modern remake
During the event, Yoshida was joined by Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi to discuss the future of the series. Yoshida acknowledged that many fans want modern remakes of older Final Fantasy games but urged players to consider the scale of those projects.
“I understand the feelings of the players, but you have to think about it,”
Yoshida said through a translator. Using Final Fantasy 6 as an example, he added,
“It’s such an incredibly huge game. The scale is just immense.”
Yoshida argued that recreating games of that size with the same level of detail as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy would dramatically increase development demands.
“If we did remake those other titles, we’d probably end up having to release them in four or maybe even five installments,”
he explained.
Square Enix may need a different remake strategy
Yoshida’s comments highlight the challenges facing Square Enix as fans continue requesting remakes of classics such as Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 8, and Final Fantasy 9. The ongoing Final Fantasy 7 Remake project began in 2020 and is expected to conclude with Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Revelation, which is currently planned for Spring 2027. That would make the trilogy a development effort spanning more than a decade.
Rather than recreating every classic RPG at the same cinematic scale, Square Enix could eventually pursue different approaches for future remakes. Simpler graphical overhauls, quality-of-life improvements, or projects using the company’s HD-2D visual style could preserve the original experience while reducing development time.
For now, Yoshida’s remarks suggest that while Square Enix understands the enthusiasm for revisiting older Final Fantasy adventures, matching the scope and production values of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy may not be practical for every entry in the legendary franchise.
