Final Fantasy Director Comments on Why Some Gamers Are Struggling to Connect With the Series

Final Fantasy game director Naoki Yoshida has stated that younger gamers are struggling to connect with Square Enix’s hit franchise despite its lengthy history and various releases. Yoshida said that the long development cycles between mainline Final Fantasy entries has made it difficult for younger generations of gamers to stay engaged with the series compared to older fans.

Originally released for the Famicom in December 1987, the first Final Fantasy game was approved for development after Square Enix (then Square) saw how successful RPGs like Dragon Quest could be in Japan. Since then, Final Fantasy has grown into one of the JRPG genre’s tentpole franchises, with 16 numbered mainline entries and seemingly countless side games released to date. From turn-based titles like Final Fantasy 10, to action-focused games like Final Fantasy 16 and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, fans looking to try out a Final Fantasy game for the first time have no shortage of options to ease them into the series.

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Final Fantasy Takes Too Long To Get New Entries Out

Despite the long-standing success of the Final Fantasy franchise, Yoshida said that the series still has a lingering problem. Yoshida said that, with Final Fantasy games taking longer to release, the gap has resulted in younger fans feeling disconnected from the Final Fantasy series. “Part of that is simply because I’m sorry to say… the release intervals for new titles have gotten longer, so some players haven’t really had the chance to connect with the series the way older fans did,” Yoshida said. The developer’s statement holds weight, as the time gap between Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 16 was nearly seven years. With Final Fantasy 16 approaching three years on the market, and no official mention of Final Fantasy 17, it may still be some time before fans get a glimpse at Final Fantasy‘s next numbered game.

Yoshida’s statement came during an interview that Square Enix hosted with various Final Fantasy directors and producers to talk about Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy. Releasing on Android and iOS on March 24, Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy is a free-to-play game that sees Final Fantasy protagonists living in modern-day Tokyo and fighting off some of the franchise’s notable monsters. Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy features characters from across the series’ long history, including characters from games that Yoshida himself directed or produced. This includes Gaia from Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers, who was designed by Tetsuya Nomura for the expansion’s Eden raid series. Future updates will bring Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive Rosfield into the fold, though it remains to be seen when the Dominant of Ifrit will make his fiery entrance. Yoshida hoped that, with Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy launching on mobile devices, the upcoming game will be something younger fans can form a community around and connect with older Final Fantasy fans.

The Final Fantasy Franchise’s Future Hones in on Two Games

Along with the imminent arrival of Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy on mobile devices, Final Fantasy fans should not have to wait too much longer for more news about the franchise’s immediate future. With the development of Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s third chapter in its last phases, rumors about when the yet-unnamed sequel will be fully unveiled continued to circulate on social media. Although Square Enix has kept a tight lid on the anticipated title, the story of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 looks to give fans of the original Final Fantasy 7 a satisfying finale.

Fit the 9 games into the grid.

As for Yoshida, he and the Final Fantasy 14 development team are preparing for a busy April ahead. Final Fantasy 14‘s 7.5 update will go live on Tuesday, April 28, bringing some new story quests and challenging boss encounters to bridge the gap between Dawntrail and FF14‘s untitled 8.0 expansion. Final Fantasy 14‘s next expansion will likely be unveiled at the Anaheim FanFest on April 24-25, with Yoshida himself sharing what he and Creative Studio 3 have been working on. Multiple FF14 patches will be released between April and September, giving fans some time to take in all that Dawntrail has to offer.