During a recent YouTube livestream, the Mobius Final Fantasy director, Naoki Hamaguchi, announced that he is now leading the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Additionally, it was also revealed that development is now progressing completely in-house. Whether this is good or bad news for Final Fantasy fans remains unclear. Don’t be too afraid, this will not delay the Final Fantasy VII Remake in the same way that Final Fantasy XV was delayed, right? With the information available, we can only hope. Images released so far of the game, whilst limited, are pleasing yet reflect the fact that the game is a work in progress.
The main reasons for the change in development structure were explained during the livestream. Previously, much of the development process was undertaken by external support partners. However, as the game progressed, Square Enix wishes to more directly control the quality and mass production of the game. Furthermore, Square Enix intends to carefully schedule the production of the remake. This may be due to the episodic nature of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, thus reflecting the fact that Square Enix may have a schedule in mind for when and how often episodes are to be released.
Another interesting point is that Square Enix has specifically moved development of the title completely in-house in order to stabilise production and maintain quality. More information is necessary, but this may possibly indicate that the assistance Square Enix received from external support partners may not have been up to the standards that Square Enix were aiming for. On the other hand, it could merely be reflective of the fact that Square Enix are keenly aware of how loved the original title is and hope to meet the expectations of fans worldwide.
If we choose to remain positive, this could signal the start of a faster and more precise development process. Square Enix announced that they are seeking to create a robust and centralised team in order to improve their reimagining of the classic. Hopefully, this will ensure that communications are improved, resources are used efficiently, and that the development team is able to effectively redraw the boundaries of an old dream reborn.