Final Fantasy VI Remake? FF7 Director Naoki Hamaguchi Says It’s a Dream — Just Not His Dream to Lead
Every few months, the internet collectively remembers that Final Fantasy VI exists and immediately demands a remake. And honestly, who can blame anyone? It’s one of the most beloved entries in the franchise, the kind of game that still gets name‑dropped in “best JRPG ever made” debates like it’s legally required. But if you were hoping the Final Fantasy VII Remake team would roll straight into a Final Fantasy VI revival, director Naoki Hamaguchi has some news — and it’s equal parts honest, humble, and very “please let me rest.”
In a recent interview, Hamaguchi admitted that a Final Fantasy VI remake would absolutely be a dream project… just not one he wants to personally lead after spending a decade inside the FF7 Remake machine. And when a man says he’s been in the same remake tunnel for ten years and is “finally seeing the end of it,” you believe him.
Hamaguchi Loves Final Fantasy VI — He Just Doesn’t Want to Remake It Himself
Hamaguchi doesn’t hide his affection for Final Fantasy VI. He calls it one of the games that shaped him as a kid — “one of the roots of me as a gamer,” as he puts it. That’s not a casual compliment. That’s the kind of thing people say about the movie that made them want to become a filmmaker or the album that convinced them to pick up a guitar.
So when fans ask him about a Final Fantasy VI remake, he gets it. He’s heard the requests. He even says, “I have received a lot of voices from fans to make a Final Fantasy 6 remake.” And you can almost hear the sigh behind that sentence — not annoyance, but the weight of expectation.
But then he drops the reality check: he’s been working on the Final Fantasy VII Remake project for ten years. Ten. A full decade of remaking one of the most iconic games ever made, across multiple entries, with the entire world watching and judging every creative decision. At some point, even the most passionate creator has to look at the mountain ahead and say, “Maybe someone else should climb that one.”
“Should I Be the One?” — A Director Who Knows When to Pass the Torch
Hamaguchi’s reasoning is refreshingly self‑aware. He says that after pouring so much time and energy into FF7, he’s not sure he should be the one to take on another legendary remake. In his words: “Should I be the one to undertake remaking another series?”
That’s not hesitation. That’s wisdom.
Instead, he says he’d rather see “a new creator come in” while he steps into a support role — cheering them on instead of leading the charge. It’s a rare thing in the industry: a director openly acknowledging that fresh eyes might be better suited for a project as massive and emotionally loaded as a Final Fantasy VI remake.
And honestly? He’s right. Final Fantasy VI deserves someone who can approach it with full creative energy, not someone who just spent ten years wrestling with the expectations of another remake.
Did Final Fantasy VI Influence the FF7 Remake? Hamaguchi Answers That Too
Given how much Hamaguchi loves Final Fantasy VI, you might assume he slipped a few nods into the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. But he shuts that down pretty quickly.
He explains that while FF6 shaped him as a gamer and a creator, the FF7 Remake team stayed faithful to the original FF7 script. That meant no conscious incorporation of Final Fantasy VI themes, motifs, or “special bits.” In other words, no secret Terra references hiding in the background, no Kefka‑inspired chaos sprinkled in for fun, and definitely no opera house cameo.
It’s a reminder that the FF7 Remake project wasn’t about blending the franchise’s greatest hits — it was about reimagining one specific story with respect and precision.
So Where Does That Leave a Final Fantasy VI Remake?
If anything, Hamaguchi’s comments make a Final Fantasy VI remake feel more possible, not less. He’s not dismissing the idea. He’s not saying it shouldn’t happen. He’s saying it deserves someone new — someone hungry, someone inspired, someone ready to take on a titan of JRPG history without ten years of remake fatigue.
And honestly, that’s the best thing that could happen for Final Fantasy VI. A remake of that scale needs a director who can give it everything, not someone who just crawled out of the FF7 Remake trenches.
