FF Creator Aims to Craft FF6's Spiritual Successor

Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who once contemplated retirement, is now driven to develop a new game inspired by the iconic Final Fantasy 6. Dive into the latest updates on this exciting project and learn about his journey.

The Successor to Final Fantasy 6

Following the success of his 2021 release, Fantasian Neo Dimension, Hironobu Sakaguchi has set his sights on creating a game that he hopes will serve as a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy 6. In a candid interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi revealed that Fantasian was initially intended to be his final project before retiring. However, the joy of working with an exceptional team on Fantasian inspired him to continue. He now aims to craft a game that blends the old with the new, describing it as "part two of my farewell note."

Development on Sakaguchi's Latest Project

In a 2024 interview with Famitsu, Sakaguchi shared that he has been actively developing this new project for about a year since writing the script. He anticipates reaching a significant milestone in approximately two years. The filing of a trademark for "FANTASIAN DARK AGE" by Mistwalker in June 2024 has sparked speculation among fans that a sequel to Fantasian could be on the horizon. While the project remains shrouded in mystery, Sakaguchi has confirmed it will echo the fantasy RPG style of his past works.

Reuniting with Square Enix for FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

Sakaguchi's studio, Mistwalker, collaborated with Square Enix to bring FANTASIAN Neo Dimension to a broader audience on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch in December 2024. Initially launched exclusively on Apple Arcade in 2021, Fantasian has been widely acclaimed as one of the best games on the platform. Reflecting on his return to Square Enix, Sakaguchi noted, "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 career began at Square in 1983, where he directed the first Final Fantasy game in 1987 and continued to helm the series through Final Fantasy 5. He later transitioned to the role of producer for Final Fantasy 6 through Final Fantasy 11 before leaving the company in 2003 to establish Mistwalker. Under Mistwalker, he developed titles such as Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Despite the successful collaboration with Square Enix on FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, Sakaguchi remains firm in his stance, expressing no interest in revisiting Final Fantasy or his previous works, preferring instead to enjoy them as a consumer.