Final Fantasy 7 Remake Director Hints at FF17 Development

On the second day of the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest in Berlin, a panel titled Naoki’s Room took place, featuring a discussion with Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director of Final Fantasy 14, affectionately known as Yoshi-P. Joining him was Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the FF7 Remake series, which set the stage for some intriguing insights.

During the panel, Yoshi-P hinted that Hamaguchi might be stepping into the director’s role for the next mainline Final Fantasy game. Given Hamaguchi’s impressive work on FF7 Rebirth, fans are eager to see how he would approach an original title.

Yoshi-P expressed high regard for Hamaguchi’s work ethic and talent throughout the session. As the panel wrapped up, Hamaguchi thanked the audience, and Yoshi-P took the moment to reflect on their discussions about the challenges and rewards of working on the franchise. He noted that while he wouldn’t directly ask Hamaguchi to take on more remakes, many fans have expressed a desire to see him at the helm of Final Fantasy 17. Hamaguchi began to respond with “If I answer…” but was playfully interrupted by Yoshida, prompting laughter from the crowd. Both Yoshida and Hamaguchi waved goodbye as they exited the stage.

Yoshida remarked, “I would like to ask — you don’t have to answer this — but we did talk just a while ago about the tough things and rewarding things about working on the franchise, but I saw a lot of things in the comments, and they were like, ‘Okay, I get it, I get it, Naoki Hamaguchi, I’m not going to ask for a six, eight, or nine remake, but they were comments along the lines of: ‘I want this guy to make Final Fantasy 17.’ I think that’s probably the highest praise you can get. But you don’t have to answer.”

With a knowing smirk, Yoshida’s comment sparked immediate speculation among fans, especially since it was mentioned right at the end of the panel. For those interested in catching the full discussion, the livestream is available on the official Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest webpage, with the Naoki’s Room panel running from 4:45 to 6:02.

This exchange could be a subtle tease about Hamaguchi’s potential role as director for the next mainline entry in the Final Fantasy series. While not every longtime fan embraced the remake titles, Hamaguchi’s contributions have garnered significant acclaim. For now, gamers should stay tuned for more updates.