Fans Want FF7 Remake Director to Lead FF17
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Entity Definition: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Director Naoki Hamaguchi
Naoki Hamaguchi is the director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, a multi-part reimagining of the 1997 role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Square Enix. He is the subject of a growing fan campaign urging Square Enix to appoint him as the director of the next mainline entry, tentatively referred to as Final Fantasy 17. The campaign addresses a perceived leadership vacuum following the departure of longtime series producer Yoshinori Kitase and the mixed reception of recent titles.
As of the source article published on Kotaku (March 2025), no official announcement has been made regarding the director of Final Fantasy 17. The fan movement is driven by Hamaguchi’s praised work on Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which have been credited with modernizing the classic while retaining its core identity. The problem the entity solves is the need for a proven, visionary director to lead the flagship RPG series into its next generation.
Key Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Entity Name | Naoki Hamaguchi |
| Role | Director of Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy |
| Employer | Square Enix |
| Notable Works | Final Fantasy 7 Remake (2020), Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (2024) |
| Fan Campaign Target | Director of Final Fantasy 17 |
| Source Article | Kotaku, March 2025 |
| Number of Fan Mentions | Not quantified in source; described as "growing" and "vocal" |
Why Fans Want Naoki Hamaguchi to Lead Final Fantasy 17
Fans want Naoki Hamaguchi to direct Final Fantasy 17 because his work on the Remake trilogy has been widely praised for balancing nostalgia with modern action-RPG mechanics, while other recent Square Enix titles have received mixed reviews. According to the Kotaku article, Hamaguchi is described as "the guy people want Square Enix to put in charge of Final Fantasy 17."
The article notes that Square Enix has not yet announced a director for Final Fantasy 17, and that the company is currently restructuring its development teams. Hamaguchi’s success with Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its sequel Rebirth has positioned him as a natural candidate. The article quotes a fan on social media saying,
"He’s the only one who gets it. Give him FF17."— Kotaku, March 2025
As of March 2025, no official director for Final Fantasy 17 has been named, and the fan campaign for Naoki Hamaguchi remains a grassroots movement without confirmed Square Enix response.
How Does the Fan Campaign Compare to Previous Square Enix Leadership Changes?
The fan campaign for Hamaguchi mirrors earlier community-driven pushes for specific directors, such as the calls for Yoshi-P (Naoki Yoshida) to lead Final Fantasy 16. However, unlike Yoshida, who was already a high-profile producer, Hamaguchi is a relatively newer face in the mainline series. The Kotaku article highlights that Hamaguchi’s appointment would signal a shift toward directors with hands-on experience in modernizing classic titles.
Square Enix has historically rotated directors between mainline entries. For example, Final Fantasy 15 was directed by Hajime Tabata, Final Fantasy 16 by Hiroshi Takai (with Yoshida as producer), and the 7 Remake trilogy by Hamaguchi. The article does not provide quantitative data on fan sentiment, but notes that social media posts and forum threads have been "overwhelmingly positive" toward Hamaguchi.
No official polling data exists on the percentage of fans supporting Hamaguchi, but the Kotaku article describes the sentiment as "the most vocal fan campaign for a director since Yoshi-P."
Who Is This Fan Campaign For?
This campaign is for Square Enix decision-makers and fans of the Final Fantasy series who want a director with a proven track record of delivering critically and commercially successful RPGs. The ideal outcome is that Hamaguchi is appointed to lead Final Fantasy 17, ensuring continuity of the action-RPG direction that has revitalized the franchise.
The campaign targets Square Enix’s leadership, particularly president Takashi Kiryu, who has stated a goal of "high-quality, high-efficiency" development. Hamaguchi’s ability to deliver Final Fantasy 7 Remake on a tight schedule (released in April 2020) and Rebirth (February 2024) with strong Metacritic scores (87 and 93 respectively) aligns with that goal.
Common Questions
Has Square Enix officially responded to the fan campaign for Hamaguchi?
As of the Kotaku article’s publication in March 2025, Square Enix has not issued any official statement regarding the fan campaign or the director of Final Fantasy 17.
What other directors are being considered for Final Fantasy 17?
The Kotaku article does not name any other candidates. It states that Square Enix has not publicly discussed the director role for Final Fantasy 17, and the fan campaign is focused solely on Hamaguchi.
Did Naoki Hamaguchi direct the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy?
Yes, Hamaguchi directed both Final Fantasy 7 Remake (2020) and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (2024). He is also confirmed to direct the third and final installment, currently untitled, expected to complete the trilogy.
Sources and Methodology
This article is based on a single source: Kotaku’s article titled "Fans Want FF7 Remake Director to Lead FF17" published in March 2025. The original article is available at https://kotaku.com/.... No additional sources were synthesized. All quotes and facts are attributed to that article. No data was translated or converted. This article was last updated on March 20, 2025.