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Final Fantasy may have just teased the director of the next mainline game
At Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest in Berlin, series producer Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) made a pointed remark suggesting that Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the FF7 Remake trilogy, could be in line to direct the next mainline Final Fantasy title. The comment came during a fan Q&A panel called Naoki's Room, and though light-hearted in tone, it has sparked immediate speculation among fans about the future direction of the franchise, given Hamaguchi's well-regarded work on the remake series.
Yoshida told Hamaguchi he had noticed fans commenting that they'd like him to work on "Final Fantasy 17" rather than further remakes, calling it "probably the highest praise you can get" before jokingly cutting him off when Hamaguchi began to respond. The exchange took place towards the end of the panel, which ran from 4:45 to 6:02 in the Fan Fest livestream, and no confirmation of any such project was given. Square Enix has not announced a new mainline entry, so the remark remains speculative for now, with fans awaiting further news.
In short
- Yoshi-P hinted Hamaguchi could direct the next mainline Final Fantasy
- Comment made during FF14 Fan Fest panel in Berlin
- No official confirmation from Square Enix yet
Explained simply
Final Fantasy is a long-running video game series created by Square Enix, where each main game is set in a different world with its own characters and story. These self-contained games are numbered sequentially (Final Fantasy 1, 2, 3 and so on), though the series also includes remakes and side stories that don't carry their own numbers.
Naoki Hamaguchi is best known for directing the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, a reimagining of the 1997 original game that has been well-received by both critics and players. Through this successful series of projects, he has become a prominent figure in the franchise and demonstrated his ability to handle a major, high-profile Final Fantasy property.
The significance of recent comments about Hamaguchi lies in the question of who will direct the next original, numbered Final Fantasy game, as the franchise has focused heavily on remakes and sequels in recent years rather than entirely new entries. Fan interest in Hamaguchi's potential involvement reflects confidence in his leadership based on his proven success with the FF7 Remake series.