Square Enix is more likely to invest in new games than remakes, according to Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase. In an interview with IGN at the Lucca Comics & Games Festival 2026, he said remakes may still make sense when creators have a strong connection to the original and want to introduce it to new players, as with Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Kitase, who produced the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy and directed the original Final Fantasy VII, said he is currently interested in making new games rather than revisiting another older title. He has no particular remake in mind for the near future, though he noted that Final Fantasy VI is often requested by fans and people within Square Enix.
He also outlined a possible direction for his next project: a game with more emphasis on battles and action, reflecting the interests of younger players, while retaining the qualities of a Final Fantasy story. He described this as a potential new challenge.
Kitase said future games or television series inspired by Final Fantasy could also be possible. He pointed to the Final Fantasy VII remake’s expanded exploration of the game’s world as a reason such adaptations might work, but did not announce any specific project.
Asked what makes Final Fantasy distinctive, Kitase highlighted its characters and how they develop throughout each game. He also credited the series’ mix of European and Japanese cultural influences with helping give it a unique identity.
Kitase said he was pleased that the creators of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had drawn inspiration from Final Fantasy, describing creative influence between games as a positive cycle. He also recalled two Star Wars homages in his own work: the names Biggs and Wedge in Final Fantasy VI, and the idea of placing a sport in a fantasy setting for Final Fantasy X’s Blitzball, inspired by the pod race in Star Wars: Episode I.
Sources: IGN.