Final Fantasy Creator Can't Stop, Won't Stop; Hopes to Create FF6's Spiritual Successor

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Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi previously considered retiring, but now wants to make another game as a successor to Final Fantasy 6. Read to learn more about his upcoming project and the latest information on its development.

Final Fantasy Creator To Develop His Final Game Again

The Successor To Final Fantasy 6

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Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi wants to create a game inspired by Final Fantasy 6 after the success of his most recent game, Fantasian Neo Dimension, initially released in 2021. In an interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi said that he "intended Fantasian to be my final project before I retired." However, he now wants to make another game that he hopes to be "a successor to Final Fantasy VI."

Despite initial thoughts of retirement, Sakaguchi said that "the fantastic team that was assembled to complete this project was so enjoyable to work with that I found it hard to part ways." This led him to decide to work on a new project with the same team that worked on Fantasian. Their goal is to "create something old but new at the same time." Sakaguchi adds that this game will be "part two of my farewell note."

Development On Sakaguchi’s Latest Project

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During an interview with Famitsu in 2024, Sakaguchi confirmed that he is working on a new project. "It's been about a year since I wrote the script, so I'm in a situation where I think I'll be able to get to a good point in about two years." he said. In June 2024, Mistwalker filed a trademark for "FANTASIAN DARK AGE", which led fans to believe that Fantasian may be getting a sequel soon.

Sakaguchi said that this project will follow a similar style to his previous works, which are mostly fantasy RPGs. There is no official announcement on the title of the game or any related information about his upcoming project.

Reuniting With Square Enix For FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

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Mistwalker partnered with Square Enix to bring FANTASIAN Neo Dimension to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch, which was released in December 2024. Fantasian was initially released in 2021 exclusively for Apple Arcade and is considered one of the best Apple Arcade games according to multiple review and critic sites. Sakaguchi shared his thoughts on working with Square Enix again and said "It’s the place where I started my career, so coming full circle through the game I envisioned to be my final work was definitely a fascinating experience."

Sakaguchi joined Square, now known as Square Enix, in 1983. He directed the first Final Fantasy game in 1987 and the next 4 mainline titles of the series then serving as the producer for Final Fantasy 6 to Final Fantasy 11. Sakaguchi left the company in 2003 and founded his studio Mistwalker. Under his studio, he worked on several titles such as Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. His most recent project was Fantasian in 2021 and was later enhanced with Square Enix as FANTASIAN Neo Dimension in 2024.

Even with the recent partnership with Square Enix, Sakaguchi still has no interest in revisiting Final Fantasy or his previous works, and said that he has "switched to a consumer rather than a creator."

Source:
Hironobu Sakaguchi The Verge Interview 2025
Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii Famitsu Interview 2024
FANTASIAN DARK AGE Trademark

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