Naoki Yoshida Reaffirms Final Fantasy 14 Commitment and Calls for Respect Toward Developers

Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida has no plans to step away from the MMORPG any time soon, even as he oversees other major Square Enix projects. Speaking at PAX West, Yoshida said he still has a long list of ideas for the game, despite more than a decade of involvement in its development.

When asked whether he ever feels tired of working on the same title, Yoshida dismissed the idea.

“So when asked, do I ever get bored with Final Fantasy 14? I don’t think so, because there are a lot of things that I have yet to actualise in 14, things that I want to do, things that I must do, things that require to be taken care of. And so I think for at least a good while, I should be ok.” — Naoki Yoshida

Yoshida noted that he sees himself first as an employee of Square Enix, where his responsibility is to create games for players.

“People tend to say we’re creators or creative, but I am an employee at Square Enix and I receive money to make games,” he said. “I think my primary purpose is to make games so that we are delivering it to gamers out there, fans, players that want to consume our product.”

Though he admitted that management and operational duties often take up much of his time, Yoshida expressed a desire to focus more on design and game development itself. He joked that his schedule already forces him to sacrifice sleep, but added he would still prefer to spend more time directly shaping the projects.

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Beyond Final Fantasy 14, Yoshida also leads Creative Business Unit 3, the Square Enix division responsible for Final Fantasy 16 and the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. He also served as co-producer on Fantasian: Neo Dimension, highlighting his growing influence across multiple RPG projects.

Alongside his comments about staying committed to Final Fantasy 14, Yoshida used his appearance at PAX West to address an ongoing issue in the gaming community: abusive criticism aimed at developers. He acknowledged that fans can be passionate, but asked players to remember the human side of game creation.

“I want to emphasise here, there is a person behind the games,” Yoshida said. “While I understand some harsh criticism might be necessary sometimes, there’s a person behind the games that you enjoy and if you have that harsh criticism, I think we would want to have it be constructive.” — Naoki Yoshida

Yoshida described positive feedback as motivating, but noted that destructive negativity can leave lasting damage.

“Some players I know want to express their frustrations, but I think very harsh words will sometimes hurt developers very deeply. It could potentially demoralise them so much that they don’t want to make video games anymore. And in the end, we—as in the gamers—would miss out on good work that these people could potentially have made.”

He emphasised that while debate and critique are important, they should not cross into personal attacks. His message was directed not only at the Final Fantasy 14 community, which is known for its vocal presence, but also at the wider gaming industry, where online abuse has become a recurring issue.

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Yoshida’s request follows past controversies, including harassment of voice actors connected to the series. While he didn’t cite specific examples in this latest panel, his broader warning makes clear the risks of a toxic environment where talented developers may feel forced to leave the industry altogether.

With Final Fantasy 14 continuing to expand through new patches and its Dawntrail expansion, Yoshida’s dual message of commitment and respect underlines the importance of sustaining a healthier relationship between creators and their audiences. His role remains central to Square Enix’s RPG lineup, but equally significant is his effort to ensure that those making the games can continue their work without demoralisation.

Naoki Yoshida hasn’t dismissed the possibility of Final Fantasy returning to turn-based systems. The release of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has reignited interest in classic RPG design, showing that turn-based combat can still succeed in 2025. That success has led many fans to question whether the series might revisit its origins. Yoshida addressed the topic but stopped short of confirmation, noting only that the future of Final Fantasy remains flexible.