Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who once considered retirement, has now announced his ambition to develop a game that will serve as a spiritual successor to the iconic Final Fantasy 6. Dive into the latest updates on this exciting project and learn more about its development journey.

The Successor to Final Fantasy 6

Following the successful release of Fantasian Neo Dimension in 2021, Hironobu Sakaguchi is now set on crafting a new game inspired by Final Fantasy 6. In a recent interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi revealed that Fantasian was initially intended to be his swan song before retirement. However, the joy of working with an exceptional team on Fantasian has inspired him to continue his journey. "I found it hard to part ways with the fantastic team that was assembled," he shared, leading to the decision to collaborate with the same team on a new endeavor. Their aim is to create a game that feels "old but new at the same time," which Sakaguchi describes as "part two of my farewell note."

Development on Sakaguchi’s Latest Project

During a 2024 interview with Famitsu, Sakaguchi confirmed his active involvement in a new project. He mentioned that he completed the script about a year ago and anticipates reaching a significant development milestone in approximately two years. The filing of a trademark for "FANTASIAN DARK AGE" by Mistwalker in June 2024 has sparked speculation about a potential sequel to Fantasian. Sakaguchi hinted that this upcoming game will maintain the fantasy RPG style characteristic of his past works, although no official title or detailed information has been released yet.

Reuniting with Square Enix for FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

In a notable collaboration, Mistwalker partnered 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. Originally launched exclusively on Apple Arcade in 2021, Fantasian has been lauded as one of the platform's top titles. Reflecting on this partnership, Sakaguchi expressed, "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 (now Square Enix) in 1983, where he directed the first Final Fantasy game in 1987 and went on to helm the next four mainline titles. He transitioned to a producer role for Final Fantasy 6 through Final Fantasy 11 before leaving the company in 2003 to found Mistwalker. Under his new studio, he has created acclaimed games like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. His latest project, Fantasian, released in 2021, was later expanded into FANTASIAN Neo Dimension in 2024.

Despite the recent collaboration with Square Enix, Sakaguchi remains focused on new creative endeavors, expressing no interest in revisiting Final Fantasy or his earlier works. He stated that he has "switched to a consumer rather than a creator," marking a new chapter in his illustrious career.