Final Fantasy Creator Aims to Craft FF6's Spiritual Successor

Hironobu Sakaguchi, the legendary creator behind the Final Fantasy series, had once contemplated retirement but now feels compelled to craft yet another masterpiece. This time, he aims to develop a game that serves as a spiritual successor to the beloved Final Fantasy 6. Dive into the details of his upcoming project and the latest updates on its development.

The Successor to Final Fantasy 6

Following the success of his latest game, Fantasian Neo Dimension, released initially in 2021, Sakaguchi expressed his desire to create a new game inspired by Final Fantasy 6. In a candid interview with The Verge, he revealed that Fantasian was intended to be his swan song before retirement. Yet, the joy and camaraderie he experienced with the team that brought Fantasian to life reignited his passion. "The fantastic team that was assembled to complete this project was so enjoyable to work with that I found it hard to part ways," Sakaguchi remarked. This enthusiasm has propelled him to collaborate with the same team on a new endeavor, aiming to "create something old but new at the same time." He describes this upcoming project as "part two of my farewell note."

Development on Sakaguchi’s Latest Project

In a 2024 interview with Famitsu, Sakaguchi confirmed the active development of his 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 stated. The filing of a trademark for "FANTASIAN DARK AGE" by Mistwalker in June 2024 has sparked speculation among fans about a potential sequel to Fantasian. Sakaguchi has hinted that this new project will retain the fantasy RPG style characteristic of his previous works, though no official title or further details have been disclosed.

Reuniting with Square Enix for FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

Mistwalker and Square Enix joined forces to release FANTASIAN Neo Dimension across multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch in December 2024. Initially exclusive to Apple Arcade in 2021, Fantasian garnered widespread acclaim and is often cited as one of the best games on the platform. Reflecting on this collaboration, Sakaguchi shared, "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's journey began at Square (now Square Enix) in 1983, where he directed the first Final Fantasy game in 1987 and continued to helm the series through its fifth installment. He then transitioned to a producer role for Final Fantasy 6 through 11. After departing Square Enix in 2003 to establish Mistwalker, Sakaguchi developed titles like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Fantasian marked his most recent project in 2021, followed by the enhanced version, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, in 2024.

Despite this renewed partnership with Square Enix, Sakaguchi remains firm in his stance against revisiting the Final Fantasy series or his past projects, preferring to engage with them as a consumer rather than a creator.