FF Creator Aims to Craft FF6's Spiritual Successor

Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, once poised for retirement, has reignited his passion for game development with plans to craft a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy 6. Dive deeper into his latest project and uncover the current developments that are stirring excitement in the gaming community.

The Successor to Final Fantasy 6

Following the triumph of his most recent game, Fantasian Neo Dimension, released in 2021, Hironobu Sakaguchi is set to embark on a new journey. In a candid interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi admitted that Fantasian was intended to be his swan song. Yet, the allure of creating a game inspired by Final Fantasy 6 has pulled him back into the fray. He expressed his desire to craft "a successor to Final Fantasy VI," driven by the joy of working with the talented team behind Fantasian.

Sakaguchi's decision to continue was fueled by the camaraderie and creativity of his team, leading him to describe this new endeavor as "part two of my farewell note." Their aim is to blend the old with the new, creating a game that resonates with fans of classic RPGs while introducing fresh elements.

Development on Sakaguchi's Latest Project

In a 2024 interview with Famitsu, Sakaguchi shared that he has been working on this new project for about a year since writing the script. He anticipates reaching a significant milestone within the next 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.

While details remain scarce, Sakaguchi confirmed that the project will maintain the fantasy RPG style that has defined his career. No official title or further information has been released yet, keeping fans eagerly awaiting more news.

Reuniting with Square Enix for FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

Mistwalker's collaboration with Square Enix brought 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 garnered acclaim as one of the platform's top titles.

Reflecting on his return to Square Enix, Sakaguchi noted the poetic nature of completing his envisioned final work with the company where his career began in 1983. He directed the first Final Fantasy game in 1987 and continued to shape the series through Final Fantasy 11 before leaving Square in 2003 to establish Mistwalker. Under his new studio, he developed notable titles like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story.

Despite this recent collaboration, Sakaguchi remains firm in his stance against revisiting Final Fantasy or his past works, preferring to engage with them as a consumer rather than a creator.