In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, made it clear that he has no intentions of revisiting the beloved franchise. This decision may not come as a huge surprise to fans, considering that Sakaguchi left Square Enix back in 2003 to establish Mistwalker. However, the reasoning behind his choice is quite intriguing.
An Unexpected Obsession
Sakaguchi revealed that his disinterest in returning to Final Fantasy stems from a personal experience with Final Fantasy XIV. He initially loaded up the game in 2021 with the intention of playing for just a few hours before attending an event. However, those few hours quickly spiraled into a full-blown obsession. Sakaguchi admitted, “Now I almost live in Final Fantasy XIV.” This revelation led him to worry that taking on the Final Fantasy brand once again in a professional capacity would significantly impact his enjoyment of the game. It’s a shift from being the creator of a franchise to simply being a consumer, and Sakaguchi fears that he may not be able to immerse himself in Final Fantasy XIV if he were to return to the series.
Looking Towards the Future
In addition to his stance on the Final Fantasy franchise, Sakaguchi also made it clear that he has no plans to work on bringing older Mistwalker games like Blue Dragon or Lost Odyssey to modern platforms. Instead, he and his team are focused on developing something entirely new. While Sakaguchi remained tight-lipped about the specifics of this new project, speculation points towards a potential sequel to Fantasian, given that Mistwalker recently filed a trademark for ‘Fantasian Dark Edge’.
Hironobu Sakaguchi’s decision to steer clear of revisiting Final Fantasy and his commitment to creating fresh content with Mistwalker mark an exciting new chapter in his career. Fans can look forward to what the future holds for this visionary game developer as he continues to make his mark on the gaming industry with innovative and original projects. Although the legacy of Final Fantasy will always be a part of his history, Sakaguchi’s determination to explore new horizons demonstrates his unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and delivering captivating experiences to players worldwide.
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