The Ambitious Vision Beyond: The Closing Delusion 7 Remake Team’s Next Chapter after the Trilogy

Following widespread layoffs in the industry, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki emphasizes how important it has been to work alongside the same team for the last decade – and they hope to carry that same passion into the next project post-Part 3.

“My team has evolved significantly together, gained substantial experience and knowledge while developing the Remake trilogy,” Hamaguchi-san shared with GamesRadar+ at the Golden Joysticks Awards 2024, just hours before Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth won four out of its six award nominations. “We are still working on the third installment – that is not complete yet. We still need to finalize that,” he laughed, although it is known that Part 3’s storyline has already been finalized. “As we reach the conclusion of the trilogy, regarding what the next project for the team will be, I genuinely have no idea at this point. It could be the next numbered Final Fantasy. It could be something entirely new. We might embark on a completely original franchise, but whatever it is, I am thrilled to work on it and see how we can leverage the knowledge we’ve accumulated.”

Hamaguchi-san expressed immense gratitude for how his team has managed to remain intact over the years since Final Fantasy 7 Remake, maintaining exceptionally specialized skills amidst the wave of industry-wide layoffs and closures, as well as some of the most significant studio acquisitions in recent history prompting concern across various sectors. “I believe the reason [Sony and Microsoft] is doing this is due to the current demands of game development,” he pointed out, exuding confidence regarding the escalating technical requirements, player expectations, and industry standards involved in contemporary gaming. “Creating high-quality, complex games is nearly impossible without having that foundational experience. For a team with no prior experience, who has never tackled a large-scale project, it is quite a challenging undertaking. That’s likely why they opted to acquire these studios that already possessed a certain level of expertise.

“Yet, reflecting on that context, my team – The Final Fantasy 7 group – has been cohesive for approximately a full decade, maybe. To navigate this entire trilogy project while gradually enhancing our experiences and skills, the team has significantly learned and evolved during this time,” he stated about the importance of retaining that expertise. “So I think once we ultimately wrap up the trilogy and release the final game, we will be in a truly excellent position to move forward and create something even greater – and that passion is crucial to achieving that, and the fact that we managed to sustain [that] through our collaboration.”

Check out the only JRPGs to enjoy while you await the final installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.

Jasmine is a staff writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and graduating with a degree in English Literature from Queen Mary, University of London in 2017, her passion for entertainment writing has taken her from reviewing underground concerts to blogging about the intersection of horror films and browser games. After transitioning from TV broadcast operations to video game journalism during the pandemic, she honed her skills as a freelance writer with TheGamer, Gamezo, and Tech Radar Gaming before landing a full-time position here at GamesRadar. Whether Jasmine is researching the latest in gaming news for an article, crafting how-to guides for The Sims 4, or championing the significance of Resident Evi