Fans Want FF7 Remake Director To Lead Final Fantasy 17 - Kotaku

What the report says

Kotaku reported that speculation over who might lead Square Enix’s next mainline Final Fantasy game surfaced publicly during the latest Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest in Berlin. Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy VII Revelation, appeared onstage unexpectedly to discuss an upcoming Final Fantasy VII crossover tied to Final Fantasy XIV’s Evercold expansion raid.

During the appearance, Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida praised Hamaguchi’s work on the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, pointing to its large scale and the development team’s pace. According to Kotaku, Yoshida also noted that some fans online have said they would like Hamaguchi to make Final Fantasy XVII, calling that kind of reaction an especially strong compliment. When Hamaguchi seemed ready to respond, Yoshida jokingly stopped him, telling him he did not need to answer.

Kotaku framed the exchange as part of broader fan interest in the future of the franchise after Final Fantasy XIII, XV and XVI, and said some players see the remake trilogy as a promising balance of action, strategy, exploration and traditional RPG structure. The article emphasized, however, that no appointment or Final Fantasy XVII announcement was made.

The timing also suggests any new numbered entry could be distant. Kotaku noted that Final Fantasy VII Revelation is not expected until early 2027, and that recent mainline Final Fantasy releases have taken many years to arrive. Yoshida also cautioned that applying the Final Fantasy VII Remake approach to other older entries could require even more installments, potentially four or five games.