Final Fantasy XVI has yet to wrap up its post-launch plans as new DLC is still in the works. However, producer Naoki Yoshida says Square Enix is already setting its sights on the future of the franchise and what comes next in the mainline series. Speaking in a recent interview, Yoshida was asked if he would be directing Final Fantasy 17, to which he replied that younger creators should step up instead.
Speaking to the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Naoki Yoshida talked a bit about Final Fantasy 17 and what he hopes will happen with the next big project. “I’ve had the chance to work on two of these games, XIV and XVI, so maybe it’s time for someone new, you know,” said Yoshida. “Instead of having the same old guys handle the next game, 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 Final Fantasy with challenges that suit today’s world.”
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Yoshida offered some helpful advice to the younger creators about handling a Final Fantasy game:
“Final Fantasy is about challenging what’s been done before. And while I’m certainly not looking to pick a fight with the older games, we all make Final Fantasy games thinking, ‘mine will be the most fun!’ So my advice is to just dive in and first put down on paper what you believe would be the most enjoyable Final Fantasy, before thinking too hard about it. Then from there, you can decide things like, ‘since XVI was real-time action, my Final Fantasy is going to have both real-time combat and turn-based battles!’ Or you could go to the other extreme and return to the series’ fully turn-based, pixel art roots.”
Yoshida added, “But you just have to sit down and think about what you’re going to spend years of your life on, what experience you want your players to have, and what is it you want the fans to be playing.”
Final Fantasy XVI is available for PS5.