Final Fantasy fans are already looking past the finish line of the Final Fantasy VII Remake project, and honestly, who can blame them? With Final Fantasy VII Revelation set to close out the trilogy next year on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, the big question now is simple: what classic gets the remake treatment next?
At Final Fantasy XIV Fest in Berlin, Naoki Yoshida — better known to fans as Yoshi-P — gave a pretty sobering answer. While he understands why players keep asking for full remakes of Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX, he warned that those games are not small projects. If Square Enix tried to remake them with the same kind of ambition as the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, they could easily balloon into four or even five separate releases.
That is a wild number, but not exactly shocking lah.
Final Fantasy VI especially is huge for a 16-bit RPG. The game has a massive ensemble cast, a world-changing midpoint, two major world states, and enough iconic scenes to fill an entire modern AAA production schedule. Rebuilding that in the style of Remake and Rebirth would not just mean nicer graphics. It would mean fully voiced scenes, expanded character arcs, cinematic boss fights, modern combat systems, new exploration zones and probably years of development per chapter.
For Malaysian and SEA fans, this matters because a multi-part remake can mean multiple full-price purchases across several years, before counting deluxe editions or DLC. The actual local price and supported platforms would only be known if Square Enix announces a project; none of these remakes was confirmed by the comments covered here.
Final Fantasy VIII and IX are not small either. VIII has its school-military drama, world map travel, card game obsession and all the Squall/Rinoa emotional baggage. IX has multiple kingdoms, a huge party, theatrical fantasy storytelling and a fanbase that would absolutely riot if Square Enix rushed it. These are beloved games, so a lazy remake would be worse than no remake.
The other spicy bit from the event was Final Fantasy XVII being mentioned in a semi-official way. Yoshi-P reportedly brought up fan comments saying that if players stop asking for VI, VIII or IX remakes, they want Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi to handle Final Fantasy XVII instead. Hamaguchi did not commit to anything, but even the public acknowledgement is enough to get the fandom cooking theories.
That makes sense. Hamaguchi has become one of the most interesting names at Square Enix after helping steer the Remake project. Many fans already see him as a strong candidate for either a Final Fantasy VI remake or the next numbered mainline game.
Still, Square Enix is probably not ready to talk about the post-Revelation future yet. Final Fantasy VII Revelation still has to land properly first, and expectations are gila high after Remake and Rebirth. But Yoshi-P’s comments are a good reality check: fans may want every classic rebuilt in modern AAA style, but Square Enix has to think about time, budget and whether players can stomach another decade-long remake saga.
Personally, a smaller, sharper remake might be the smarter move for VI, VIII or IX. Not everything needs to become a five-game cinematic universe. Sometimes we just want the magic preserved, the pacing respected, and the Phantom Train suplex to hit like thunder.
Reporting source: Wccftech Gaming