Square Enix Details Why Classic Final Fantasy Remakes Would Take Five Parts

Quick Facts

• Event: Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Berlin
• Speakers: Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida and Naoki Hamaguchi
• Key Takeaway: Remakes of Final Fantasy 6, 8, or 9 would require four to five installments.
• Crossover Content: FF14 version 8.01 will introduce a Final Fantasy VII crossover raid and Keybound Brawler minigame.

At the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Berlin, director-producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida and Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi discussed the future of Square Enix's flagship role-playing franchise. During a 75-minute panel titled Naoki's Room, the developers addressed persistent fan requests for modern remakes of classic titles like Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy IX.

Hamaguchi noted that while Final Fantasy 6 inspired him to enter the game industry, media interviews constantly spark headlines about a potential remake that he must continually deny. Expanding on those hurdles, Yoshida explained the sheer scope required for modern iterations of these older projects.

"Final Fantasy 6 is an incredibly huge game, and the same goes for other titles like Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy 9," Yoshida said. "If we did remake these other games, we would probably have to release them in four or even five installments."

Yoshida's statements align with comments made in 2024 by original Final Fantasy 6 director Yoshinori Kitase, who estimated that a modern remake of the Super Nintendo classic in the style of the Final Fantasy VII Remake project could take roughly 20 years to complete due to its deep character rosters and expansive content.

Hamaguchi also reflected on the decade-long production cycle required for the FF7 remake trilogy, calling the team's sustained motivation and adherence to the schedule a miracle. When livestream viewers subsequently chimed in asking if Hamaguchi should direct Final Fantasy 17, Yoshida playfully batted away the suggestion, noting that Hamaguchi remains busy with the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Revelations.

Upcoming Final Fantasy 14 Crossover Content

Away from remake discussions, the developers highlighted upcoming collaborative content bridging the MMORPG with the FF7 universe. Final Fantasy 14 will add the Keybound Brawler game to the Gold Saucer in October, alongside Barret and Tifa-style character outfits.

Furthermore, the development teams are actively building the Beyond the Lifestream crossover raid. That content is slated to debut alongside version 8.01 of Final Fantasy 14, which targets a release window prior to the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Revelations in early 2027.