Final Fantasy 16 Development Team

Following on from the glorious re-reveal of Final Fantasy XVI at Sony's latest State of Play, Square Enix has saw fit to confirm the key staff members who are working on the upcoming RPG. Most of these names have been reported on or rumoured before, but seeing them all locked in is, in our humble opinion, the biggest reason to get hyped for the 2023 release.

Just take a look at the talent that's on offer here, as per the official press release:

  • Producer - Naoki Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, DRAGON QUEST X, DRAGON QUEST: Monster Battle Road)
  • Main Director - Hiroshi Takai (FINAL FANTASY V, SaGa Frontier, THE LAST REMNANT)
  • Creative Director & Original Screenplay - Kazutoyo Maehiro (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XII, THE LAST REMNANT)
  • Localization Director – Michael-Christopher Koji Fox (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XI Online, FINAL FANTASY VII Dirge of Cerberus)
  • Art Director - Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XII, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS)
  • Combat Director - Ryota Suzuki (DEVIL MAY CRY 5, Dragon’s Dogma, MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2)
  • Character Design - Kazuya Takahashi (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XI Online, FINAL FANTASY X)
  • Composer - Masayoshi Soken (FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Nanashi no Game series)

That first credit is the one that everybody already knows. Yoshida spearheaded the team that brought Final Fantasy XIV back from the brink, and then transformed it into the staggeringly successful MMO that we know today. Alongside Maehiro, Fox, Minagawa, Takahashi, and Soken, it's clear that XIV's biggest players are all directly involved in the production of Final Fantasy XVI — which is incredibly reassuring considering how brilliantly realised the aforementioned MMO is. In short, these guys know how to make a damn good game.

And then there's Suzuki — arguably the most interesting name on this already impressive list. As credited, Suzuki was largely responsible for the combat direction of Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon's Dogma — two of the finest examples of action combat in modern gaming. Based on what we've already seen of its battle system, there's more than a hint of those two Capcom titles in Final Fantasy XVI. Hugely exciting stuff.

What do you make of Final Fantasy XVI's staff selection? Place your faith in the XIV boys below.