Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy's Director Gets A Big Promotion

Published May 15, 2026, 4:29 PM EDT Quinton is a Staff Writer from the United States. In his youth, Quinton was ridiculed for making video game ranking lists instead of paying attention in math class. In adulthood, people sometimes pay him for it. Life's a trip. Taking his first steps into the industry in 2020, Quinton has written for several digital publications, but his permanent literary home is right here at TheGamer. Before striking up a conversation with Quinton, consider the risks: he'll find a way to transform almost any topic into an analysis of either world history, Star Trek, or - at least this one's relevant to his career - all his favorite role-playing games. Final Fantasy isn't as popular with younger gamers as older ones. That's not exactly a revolutionary statement. Anecdotally, I've heard accounts of friends mentioning the name to teenagers, even twenty-somethings on occasion, and the response is, "Wait, they still make those?" It's a problem. And it's a problem Naoki Hamaguchi knows well. He's now the head of Creative Studio 1 at Square Enix, meaning he's overseeing a good deal of the franchise's production pipeline (as well as Kingdom Hearts). As such, the responsibility rests in part on Hamaguchi to do what can be done in order to maintain Final Fantasy's commercial viability in the years to come. No pressure. Unwavering Commitment Hamaguchi has helped to spearhead the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, serving as co-director on Remake, Rebirth, and the upcoming, as-yet-untitled, grand finale. Now, he'll be looking at umpteen further projects, including—perhaps—the inevitable Final Fantasy 17. Speaking with Spanish website Nintenderos, Hamaguchi responded to an inquiry concerning his next big move. He's spent over a decade (!) working on the Remake trilogy, which might not sound quite right at first glance when the initial installment is only six years old. But getting things off the ground was a years-long process, and no mistake. "As the Final Fantasy VII remake project nears completion, I want to meet the expectations of fans who desire even more depth in this world and its characters. At the same time, I am very aware of the need to consider how we can expand the potential of the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole for the next generation." -Naoki Hamaguchi Related A New PlayStation Update Will Show The Most-Played Games The update will introduce a SteamDB-like feature dedicated to the Top 10 games in your country. So, the expansion's on his brain. To be clear, Nintenderos' interviewer asked Hamaguchi whether he'd want to move on from Final Fantasy as part of the question the director is answering. Such an emphasis on widening Final Fantasy's appeal in his reply strongly suggests otherwise. He did leave things open a touch by mentioning the possibility for a demand for "new and unique experiences," but that could just as easily fall under the FF umbrella. After all, the series tends to morph so much between mainline entries. "While I may not be able to do everything at once, I’m not only a game director, but also head of one of the studios within Square Enix . Looking ahead, the number of projects I oversee as head of studio will likely increase. Regardless of the form they take, I will continue to deliver engaging experiences to the game fans who have high expectations of both me, Naoki Hamaguchi, and the work of my studio. That commitment will not change." This other portion of the response is important because he's reconfirmed earlier evidence that he now helms Creative Studio 1. Much like Naoki Yoshida stands at the top of Creative Studio 3, which is responsible for such titles as Final Fantasy 14, Final Fantasy 16, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Creative Studio 1 is where you'll find the likes of Tetsuya Nomura and other veterans of FFs 7, 8, 10, 13, and indeed, the FF7 Remake trilogy. This, in conjunction with Kingdom Hearts' presence, puts Naoki Hamaguchi on top of prime real estate. Whether it's CS1, CS3, or wherever, that cranks out Final Fantasy 17, it's pivotal to understand (as the internet so often doesn't) that Square Enix will bring bulk personnel between big jobs, meaning you'll still see names in the credits from across the company. But the leadership at the helm will matter a great deal, and if Hamaguchi ends up steering the ship for FF17, he'll clearly be bearing this goal in mind of growing the IP while there's still a chance to do so. Next Shin Megami Tensei And Persona's Demon Negotiation System Was Inspired By A Frustrating D&D Session You can try to negotiate with demons in Shin Megami Tensei and Persona thanks to one very strict and stubborn Dungeons & Dragons DM.