Final Fantasy Producer Naoki Yoshida Says Series ‘Struggles’

Final Fantasy XVI‘s producer Naoki Yoshida was very candid about the current state of Final Fantasy. In a recent interview with Inversehe said the long-running RPG series was not very adaptable to the changes in the game industry.

“As for whether Final Fantasy is successfully adapting to industry trends, I believe the series is currently struggling.” said Yoshida. “We are now at a point where we receive a wide range of requests regarding the direction of our game design.”

Final Fantasy XIV was originally known as a janky and generic game when it was launched in 2010. Players were unhappy and the development team had been demoralized. When Yoshida took over as producer of the ill-fated MMORPG, FFXIV experienced a full revival. The game is now spoken as a rival of World of Warcraftand the latest expansion was expected so long that Square Enix had to stop sales manage congestion. He is one of the most qualified people to speak about the need for innovation of the series. His faith is one of the reasons he takes FFXVI in a dark direction than most Final Fantasy spell.

Yoshida seems to be trying to set realistic expectations for the series, which he did before to explain lack of Final Fantasy XVI updates. “To be honest, it would be impossible to satisfy all those requests with one title. My current impression is that we can really just make multiple games, and continue to create the best we can at any given time,” Yoshida told Yoshida. Inverse.

But he wasn’t all doom and gloom Final Fantasy. He spoke positively about FFXIV‘s potential longevity as a live service game. “I want to continue to ensure that Final Fantasy XIV will be fondly remembered by many as a fun game that gave them the best gaming experience. I also want to make sure it stays in business for decades to come.”

Final Fantasy may face an uphill battle, but Yoshida doesn’t seem to see it as a bad thing. “I believe the essence of a job is getting paid to do what others find difficult,” he said.

Yoshida is currently the producer of Final Fantasy XVI, the next main single-player game in the series. According to the producer, the game will have more to offer “mature” themes than previous entriesprobably because of the poor reception of its predecessor Final Fantasy XV. The game was delayed due to the pandemicbut Square Enix has set the release date for summer 2023.