Fans Want Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy Director to Lead Final Fantasy 17 Development

Who will take the reins for Final Fantasy XVII? It’s a hot topic among fans, and it even came up during the recent Final Fantasy XIV Berlin Fan Fest.

Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of Revelation, the concluding chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, made a surprise appearance to discuss an upcoming crossover with the MMORPG for its Evercold expansion raid. While on stage, Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida praised Hamaguchi’s work.

Yoshida highlighted the impressive scale of the remake trilogy and the team’s ability to deliver new titles at a brisk pace. He also noted the enthusiastic feedback Hamaguchi receives from fans. “There were comments like, ‘I want this guy to make Final Fantasy XVII,’” Yoshida shared through his translator. “I think that’s probably the highest praise you can get.”

Did Yoshi-P just drop a hint that Hamaguchi might be involved with FF17?

Yoshi-P: I think it’s one of the biggest compliments when fans express their desire for Hamaguchi to lead FF17. But you don’t have to answer…!

Hamaguchi: If I answer…

Yoshi-P: No, no, don’t!

The Final Fantasy XIV director quickly stepped in to prevent Hamaguchi from saying anything that could spark further speculation, laughing as he did so.

After two decades of mixed experiences from Final Fantasy XIII to XV and XVI, many fans are hoping for a more consistent direction for the franchise. With the remake trilogy, it seems Hamaguchi and his team have successfully blended turn-based and real-time action combat while striking a balance between open-world exploration and traditional linear RPG gameplay.

Hamaguchi has previously mentioned uncertainty about his next project, but since Revelation won’t be released until early 2027, any new numbered Final Fantasy game under his direction is likely still years away. Square Enix has been averaging about seven years between new entries in the series, so we might not see Final Fantasy XVII, no matter who directs it, until around 2030.

Yoshida also addressed fan requests for applying the Final Fantasy VII Remake approach to other classic titles in the franchise. “Of course, since you’re working on the Final Fantasy VII series, I understand why people would want remakes of other games,” he said. “But if we were to remake those titles, we’d probably have to release them in four or maybe even five parts.”