Yoshi-P Says FF6, FF8 and FF9 Remakes Would Need 4-5 Parts as FF17 Emerges

Q: Was Yoshida's onstage interruption a calculated marketing tease to test fan reactions for Hamaguchi secretly directing Final Fantasy 17?

There is no solid evidence that Yoshida’s interruption was a calculated marketing test for Hamaguchi secretly directing Final Fantasy XVII. What is publicly known points to a joke that landed because it touched an active fan theory. At the Berlin Fan Festival, Yoshida referenced comments from fans who want Hamaguchi on FF17, then cut him off before he could answer. By all available accounts, the exchange was playful and framed as something Hamaguchi “shouldn’t answer,” which is exactly the kind of stage banter that fuels speculation without confirming anything. That said, the moment was effective. Square Enix knows Hamaguchi is one of the company’s most visible Final Fantasy leaders after FFVII Rebirth and the remake trilogy, and Yoshida has already helped keep FF17 discussion alive through past comments about the series’ future, including combat style. So even if it was not a formal marketing probe, it clearly functioned as a teaser-like moment that let the company watch fan reaction at little cost. The bigger reason the speculation persists is Hamaguchi’s profile, not the interruption itself. He has said he wants his next project to be another JRPG and has left open the possibility of a new Final Fantasy, while also signaling he is not eager to simply lead another remake. That makes him a plausible candidate for FF17, but not a confirmed one. So the safest reading is that this was a lighthearted onstage tease, not reliable proof of a hidden FF17 appointment.

3 articles · Updated · Wccftech · Jul 27

4-5 installments would be needed to remake Final Fantasy VI, VIII or IX, Naoki Yoshida said at Final Fantasy XIV Fest in Berlin, arguing those games are too large to fit the Final Fantasy VII Remake model.
Yoshida singled out Final Fantasy VI's immense scale, broad cast and dual world maps as examples of why a modern remake could become a years-long AAA undertaking.
Final Fantasy XVII also surfaced in the discussion, with Yoshida telling Final Fantasy VII Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi that fan comments increasingly want him to lead the next mainline entry.
Square Enix's next big decision comes as Final Fantasy VII Revelation is set to conclude the remake series next year across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.