Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi’s Original IP Pivot Sparks Debate Ahead of Spring 2027

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According to a recent Game Informer interview with Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, he is currently fully focused on finishing Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, planned for spring 2027. But he also made his next ambition clear: once the trilogy is done, he wants to move toward a new original RPG. For a major publisher that has long leaned on established IP, that kind of comment is rarely just a personal aside. It is also the sort of early signal that gets the community talking.

The real takeaway is not another numbered Final Fantasy — it's Hamaguchi's interest in something original. His immediate job is still to deliver a strong ending for Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, and that matters as much as many series debuts do. The hardest part of a trilogy is rarely the opening act; it is whether the finale can keep its pacing, systems, and emotional payoff coherent. So the fact that he is already talking about what comes next suggests this is not just a "finish first, decide later" situation. He seems to be thinking beyond the post-Final Fantasy VII finish line already.

That is also what makes his wording stand out. Where continuing a proven franchise is concerned, Hamaguchi said he would rather challenge himself with an original IP. In his view, building a new world, characters, and systems from the ground up offers a fresher creative challenge. It is an easy position to understand. Building on an older IP offers stability, but it also comes with clearer boundaries. An original project carries more risk, yet also gives a creator far more room to define what the game can be.

This is where Square Enix matters. The company has deep technical knowledge and production experience when it comes to large-scale RPGs, from worldbuilding and cinematic storytelling to combat-system integration. It has already proven it can bring large-scale RPGs to the global market. The real test is whether Square Enix is willing to greenlight a brand-new IP — a tougher call than simply handing him another Final Fantasy sequel.

The other topic fans keep circling back to is a Final Fantasy VI remake. Based on what Hamaguchi actually said, though, there is nothing to go on yet. He brushed the subject aside jokingly and gave no direct response at all. Unlike the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, which is clearly defined and already in long-term production, Final Fantasy VI still looks more like a fan wishlist item than a project on an active schedule.

From a player standpoint, none of this changes buying decisions in the short term. Final Fantasy VII: Revelation is still some distance away, and the main thing to watch is whether it can deliver the high-quality ending it is aiming for in spring 2027. But from a genre perspective, the bigger point is meaningful: when a major Japanese RPG team shows interest in pursuing a fresh original IP, that matters. In recent years, remakes, remasters, and sequels have often been the industry's safer option. A new IP is the riskier bet. If Hamaguchi really does get to make that move, Square Enix's RPG future could become more interesting than just keeping the legacy franchises going.

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