As a reminder, Sakaguchi was involved in Final Fantasy from its inception in 1987 until 2003. Subsequently, the developer founded the studio Mistwalker Corporation, where he is now working on turn-based Fantasian.

Although almost 20 years have passed since his last Final Fantasy, Sakaguchi speaks warmly of the series’s work and fondly recalls stories from the past.

For example, how they came up with the name Final Fantasy XI. The game was the first MMO in the franchise, and Sakaguchi certainly wanted a serial number in the project’s title – like all the main parts.

Among other things, the game designer noted Naoki Yoshida and Yoshinori Kitase’s achievements in the creation of Final Fantasy XIV and the Final Fantasy VII remake, respectively.

“They have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in visual storytelling. I can see that everyone [at Square Enix] is working hard on the franchise, and I am pleased about that, ”said Sakaguchi.

Fantasian is slated for release on iOS (Apple Arcade) before the end of this year. The game is a hybrid of old ideas inherited from classic Final Fantasy and new ones – like environments created from handcrafted dioramas.