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When developing the visual theme for Evercold, what was the most challenging aspect in distinguishing it from Ishgard and Garemald—which are also snowy lands—so that players could recognise it as a distinct location at a glance?

As the title The Silver Wanderer [the Japanese title for 8.0] suggests, the setting for this adventure is a silvery world eroded by the power of ice. Consequently, whilst it is inevitable that people will associate it with a snowy region, we are not simply creating an area covered entirely in snow and ice.

Whenever we create a new area—and not just this time—we create the artwork by thoroughly considering the lands, landscapes, cultures and ways of life that neither you, the Warrior of Light, nor our development team have ever experienced. In Evercold, we are creating the Fourth World itself with these considerations in mind, so we are not actually approaching it with the intention of differentiating it from other areas.

In particular, as we’ve drawn inspiration from Norse mythology, the Nordic region, and ancient myths and cultures, we’re placing great emphasis on how to incorporate these elements into a fantasy world.

That said, there is one aspect we do take into account from the perspective of differentiation, and that is the fact that ‘when many players see black steel, they immediately think of the Garlean Empire’. To distance this area from the Empire’s image, we do sometimes focus on how to create a distinct landscape for the new area.

Do you have any plans to modernise the housing system in FF14 in the future?

I assume the intention behind this question is to ask what the future holds for FF14’s housing system, following the implementation of a housing system in World of Warcraft… Is that correct? (Laughs)

As I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions, ever since we were developing A Realm Reborn, we’ve had the utmost respect for WoW and have been guided by it to this day. The fact that WoW took FF14 into consideration when implementing its housing feature is an honour in itself. Naturally, we’ve had the chance to experience WoW’s housing system ourselves, and we were truly impressed by what they’ve achieved. And as we’re always up for a challenge, we’ve been studying just how brilliant their housing system is.

I can’t give a specific date, but we plan to carry out two major overhauls to the housing system during the 8.X series. One of these concerns the UI. As the current housing system is quite technical in some respects, we plan to revamp the UI to make it more accessible and allow players to enjoy creating more elaborate homes.

The other change—whilst I cannot go into detail here—is a plan that will likely delight you even more than the UI overhaul. It may even be implemented sooner than the UI update, so as soon as the timing is finalised, I’ll share the full details with you. I believe this is something you’ll immediately think, ‘It would be great if we could do this,’ so please look forward to it.

Is the new job, Bastion, influenced by jobs that have appeared in previous FF series?

It’s not just limited to Bastion, but when we incorporate jobs from past FF series—such as the Red Mage or Pictomancer—into FF14, we naturally take them very much into account. However, I believe that the most important factor in job design is whether it’s fun to play within the context of FF14.

This time, when creating a new tank class, from the moment we decided to create a job that hadn’t appeared in previous series, we designed it with fun as our top priority, without considering the essence of past FF series.

I imagine the details of the Bastion will be revealed shortly, but could you explain the general concept and how it differs from other tanks? I’m particularly interested in the fact that ranged attacks are incorporated into its combat.

Regarding the incorporation of ranged attacks into its combat, as a gun is mounted on the weapon’s magic armour, it might appear to be a job that alternates between close-range and long-range combat, but I don’t think you need to worry too much about that. As with Paladin, I think it’s best to think of it as a job where ranged attacks can be used conveniently when you’re forced to distance yourself from the boss due to a mechanic.

As I mentioned briefly in the keynote speech, a major feature of the Bastion is that you can designate a specific party member and apply healing or defensive effects at any time you choose when using your own actions. Whilst you can activate them instantly, the ability to adjust the timing of these healing and defensive effects to match the boss’s timeline is a key difference from previous tank classes. It’s a class that’s also quite impressive in terms of its offensive capabilities, so I think it would be good to bear that in mind.

I’ve heard that in Evercold, the tank roles are more clearly divided between main tank and sub-tank. How strictly will this division of roles be enforced? Should Warriors across Eorzea start learning how to be a sub-tank?

I think there may be some misunderstanding here, so let me explain once more. In Reborn Mode, there are no roles such as main tank and sub-tank. It is only in Evolved Mode that the roles of main tank and sub-tank are clearly defined.

As for the question, ‘Should Warriors learn to play as a sub-tank?’, that does sting a little… Although we’ve received similar feedback from Dark Knight players, in Evolved Mode, you must decide which player will be the main tank and which the sub-tank, and adjust your play accordingly. Of course, we’ve made sure to include unique enjoyment specific to the sub-tank role, so I’d be delighted if you could look forward to that in a positive light.

However, I don’t think there’s any need to start preparing or getting worked up about it just yet. This system will be introduced from version 8.0 onwards, and the need for clearly defined main and sub-tank roles will only become apparent in content of Savage or higher difficulty. For those raids, we’ll be designing new battle mechanics that make full use of this system. I’m sure it will be much more enjoyable to see these in action, discuss them and then play the game, so I don’t think there’s any need to practise anything just yet.

Among the content currently in development, which part do you feel represents the team’s most daring challenge?

At Fan Festival 2026, we held keynote speeches in Anaheim, USA, in April and here in Berlin, Germany, today, where we announced a great many changes and challenges. As we’re also tackling major changes to the game systems this time, being asked which is the ‘boldest’ is actually quite a tricky question (laughs).

From a content perspective, I’d have to say it’s either ‘Ghosts of Desire’, the crossover with Evangelion, or ‘Beyond the Lifestream’, the crossover with the FF7 Remake series that we announced today.

With regard to these two pieces of content, we’re facing a truly massive challenge in terms of how we construct the story and design the boss battles—fusing two distinct worlds into a single narrative and seeing just how much we can surprise you all. We’re having a great deal of fun working on them, but there’s no doubt that they hold immense significance in terms of the challenges they present.

Furthermore, during the keynote speech, I mentioned that we are currently developing a large-scale gameplay experience using public fields, codenamed ‘World Raid’. This, too, represents a significant and new challenge for us. Development is being led by Nakagawa (Seiki Nakagawa, Lead Battle Content Designer), who explained the Beastmaster class at the 93rd PLL, and it is shaping up to be a highly rewarding piece of field content.

He was also the one who created ‘Eureka: The Forbidden Land’, and we will be offering gameplay that utilises the entire field, drawing on all his experience to date. Whilst it won’t be implemented in 8.0, I believe we’ll be able to release it before too long, so please look forward to this as well.

Regarding Evercold and future content releases, is there anything you’d like to take on as a challenge? If so, could you tell us what sort of challenge that might be?

Ever since we began creating A Realm Reborn, both myself and the FF14 team have been constantly taking on new challenges. If I were asked whether there’s anything I’d like to take on, I’d say I want to be even more ambitious in our efforts to double the number of FF14 players—or indeed, to increase it three, five or even tenfold.

During the keynote speeches at the previous event in Anaheim and today’s in Berlin, I spoke at length about the future of FF14. Of course, whilst I stand on stage full of confidence declaring, ‘We’re going to change this!’, challenges inevitably carry the risk of failure, so naturally there is pressure.

Naturally, we on the development team are only human, so we do make mistakes with balance adjustments, and there are also errors that result in bugs in the system. I don’t believe there is any challenge that is entirely free of such risks. The reason we take on these challenges, even whilst being fully aware of those risks, is that everyone on the FF14 team—myself included—wants you, the players, to enjoy FF14 even more than you do now.

That is our greatest desire, and to achieve it, we have no choice but to keep taking on these challenges. Once I return to Japan, I too, as a member of the development team, will continue working late into the night every day, battling the pressure as we carry on with development. Ultimately, there is no way to overcome anxiety and fear other than through hard work, so I intend to continue doing my very best.

Could you tell us the background and reasoning behind deciding to carry out a major update to Chocobo companions, along with the revamp of many other systems, at this particular time?

After the release of Dawntrail (7.0), around the early stages of development for Patch 7.2, it was time for me to start thinking about the game design for 8.0. I agonised over it for a while, but ultimately decided that we should take a risk and significantly evolve FF14. As a result, we undertook three major initiatives at that time.

Firstly, acting on my own initiative as Producer and Director, I drew up a list of elements in the current FF14 that I felt absolutely had to be changed.

Secondly, I gathered several key members of staff—including myself, Assistant Director Yokozawa (Mr Takeshi Yokozawa), Battle Director Sato (Kei Sato), and Lead Battle Content Designer Nakagawa, who is here with us at the European Fan Festival—and we held repeated discussions lasting several hours on the question: ‘If we were to evolve the game as a whole, what do you think we should change?’

Thirdly, we asked all staff involved in the FF14 development, operations, marketing, promotion and PR teams, ‘What should be changed to make FF14 even more enjoyable?’, and compiled an absolutely enormous list.

Through this process, we compiled a single list and prioritised what to do, what not to do, and the order in which to tackle each item. As a result, we decided to ‘change the Chocobo companions as soon as possible’, which is why we’ve chosen this particular timing.

Given that this event is centred on the PR for Evercold and Fan Fest, I imagine many of you have a strong impression of the 8.X content, but what we’re aiming for is the continuous evolution of FF14. Today, we didn’t just talk about 8.0, but also touched briefly on Patches 8.1 and 8.2; we will continue to implement major changes and updates on an ongoing basis. And as I don’t believe this will end with the next expansion, 9.0, we intend to keep innovating further.

Was the community’s reaction to Chort unexpected?

To be honest, I’m not quite sure why it’s become such a running joke (laughs), but we’re delighted that it’s been used in various memes and has become a talking point. It just stands there boldly without making any fuss, and then suddenly starts rolling, so I can understand why people think, ‘What on earth is this thing?!’ I’d actually love to hear from you all about what you found appealing about it (laughs).

When players discover all sorts of combinations and interactions on social media—in ways we never anticipated—and these turn into major memes or go viral, it’s one of the aspects of creating entertainment that we ourselves find thoroughly enjoyable. If you spot anything new and amusing, please do share it with us. The whole development team is watching with big smiles on our faces, so we look forward to your contributions.

The keynote speech lasted for around three hours, but how do you think you’ve managed to cultivate a fan community that watches it with such enthusiasm?

I don’t have the one-sided feeling that I’ve ‘cultivated’ it. Back when I first met members of the media as the producer and director of FF14, I was sometimes told that ‘Square Enix is secretive and doesn’t really answer any questions, no matter what you ask’. However, as I had the opportunity to speak with members of the media on numerous occasions, they began to tell me, ‘You’re the first person who’s ever spoken to us so openly.’

This is an approach I’ve maintained not only with the media but also with our players. When it comes to failures, I explain ‘why they happened’; regarding our plans, I explain ‘why they need to be done’ and ‘how we intend to achieve them’. For the past 16 years, I’ve adopted an approach of being completely honest about everything—including what we cannot do even if requested, and what we’ve deliberately chosen not to do.

Over the course of those 16 years, the development team, the player community and the media have not been separate entities; rather, I believe we have all grown together as a result of these groups continuing to foster mutual understanding as a single community. Whether we’re discussing fine details of the system or major content updates, the fact that we can all get excited about anything related to FF14 is, I believe, a result of our mutual growth. Our relationships with players and the media are our greatest asset, so we intend to move forward with even stronger unity and bonds in the future.

However, to conclude, I must admit that a keynote speech lasting nearly three hours was indeed too long… I’ll endeavour to keep better track of the time from next time onwards.

The FF7 Remake 8-player raid sees both teams collaborate to create a crossover—Regarding the crossover content with the FF7 Remake series, ‘Beyond the Lifestream’, which team made the initial approach?

It was me who first brought it up. Ever since the days of A Realm Reborn, we’ve continued to develop FF14 under the concept of it being a Final Fantasy theme park, and for a long time there have been a great many requests from fans for a collaboration with FF7 to introduce characters, costumes and the like.

However, as I’d long been aware that the FF7 Remake series was in development, I felt—as a FF7 fan myself—that the fans’ greatest hope was for the FF7 Remake series to be released as soon as possible. That’s precisely why I didn’t want to hold up the FF7 Remake development team by undertaking a half-hearted crossover or collaboration; I was determined to wait patiently until the right time came.

And now that FF7 Revelations—the final instalment and conclusion of the series—has been announced for release in spring 2027, and with development finally entering its final stages, I discussed with Naoki Hamaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase—who were also guests at today’s keynote speech—that now might be the very best time to boost the entire FF series through these two titles. We decided to go all out to build excitement, so both teams are now joining forces to create a crossover with everything we’ve got.

What measures are you taking to ensure that new players can enjoy the game from A Realm Reborn through to Evercold? Furthermore, depending on one’s playstyle, simply following the story can take around 300 hours. Do you have any plans to shorten or adjust the new player experience?

This is a question we’ve been asked for a long time, and we’ve already devised two plans to address it. One of these will definitely be implemented either upon the release of Evercold or before it.

The other involves reviewing the system itself, so we are still in the process of discussing whether or not to implement it. As for this second proposal, there is a possibility—albeit not a certainty—that we might manage to have it ready in time for the release of Evercold.

That is all I can say for now. Whilst we have previously emphasised that we would like players to ‘start playing from A Realm Reborn as much as possible’, we are now finally considering how to address this issue. At the very least, at the Japanese Fan Festival, I believe you will learn about one of the two plans I have just mentioned, so please bear with us a little longer. Essentially, I hope you will view this as a positive development.

On stage, you mentioned that you began working on the development of FF14 at the age of 37 and that you are now 53. How has your approach to game development changed over this period? Also, do you ever think about retiring?

As I’ve given numerous interviews and spoken about my approach to game development on many occasions, I’ll skip that part today, but the fundamentals haven’t changed much.

However, naturally, times have changed significantly. Particularly when it comes to game design, it’s necessary to adapt one’s thinking in line with the times. In today’s world, what was fun in the past isn’t necessarily fun now, so in that respect, I do feel there has been quite a change within myself.

There have certainly been changes in terms of continuing to develop FF14, and I also feel that my approach to game design—even when considering games other than FF14—has evolved and improved compared to how I used to think.

Time efficiency and players’ available time are factors we absolutely cannot ignore if we want modern gamers to play our games more. Figuring out how to link these to fun and enjoyment is a new challenge, and I’m thoroughly enjoying my work on game design every day.

As for retirement, I’ve never given it a second thought. Of course, if Square Enix were to tell me, ‘We don’t need you anymore!’, I’d leave (wry smile).

In Japan, there’s the concept of mandatory retirement at the age of 60, and as I’m 53 myself, even if I were to leave Square Enix in that way, I imagine I’d probably be raising funds with a small group of friends to make games, so I haven’t really given retirement much thought.

Furthermore, as regards FF14, I’ve told the players that it’s my life’s work, so unless the players themselves tell me, ‘Yoshida, it’s time to retire’, I intend to carry on developing FF14 without wavering.

The character customisation features announced today include the ability to remove specific patterns and alter horns, amongst other things. You mentioned that your approach to the accuracy of the game’s world-building is gradually changing; could you explain why your stance on ‘consistency with the game’s world-building’—something you’ve previously prioritised—has shifted?

This is certainly a point where our approach has changed. We believe that providing players with an accurate representation of the world setting and its rules is both a creative commitment and a matter of integrity for game developers. That is precisely why, no matter how much players have requested it, we have explained that ‘for the Miqo’te, war paint is part of their racial identity; they have lived their lives that way, so they would never go without it’, and in response to feedback asking to ‘turn off war paint’, we have replied, ‘That is a rule of the world, so it cannot be removed’.

However, I’ve slightly updated my perspective and now consider that this commitment to the world’s lore is, in a sense, a form of role-play. For example, even if Patch 8.1 allows players to turn off the Miqo’te’s battle make-up, I won’t turn it off when I play as a Miqo’te. This is because I absolutely love the world setting of FF14 and the unique characteristics of its races.

However, I’ve come to realise that whether or not one adheres to the world setting isn’t a question of right or wrong, but rather a matter of how deeply one wants to immerse themselves and how far one wishes to take their role-playing. Given that there are millions of players across the globe, I felt it would be better to leave that choice up to each individual player rather than removing that option simply because of my own personal preferences. This line of thinking forms the basis for our decision to provide these various changes as optional features.

If any players are thinking, ‘It’s a shame, as I’ve taken such care with the world setting,’ after hearing this announcement, I hope that, just as I do as a Warrior of Light, you’ll take pride in applying your battle make-up when playing as a Miqo’te. There’s no need to impose this on others, and I’d be delighted if you could see this as a shift in the perspective of role-play—from ‘me, the game designer’ to ‘your own choices’.

As mentioned in your question just now, I believe that FF14 will continue to evolve as I myself grow and my way of thinking develops. I will continue to strive to improve my skills, level up and grow, so I would be grateful if you could continue to support the game for a long time to come. Thank you very much for your time today.

So here we are then, at the end of your long, long journey. Thoughts, presumably, overflowing in your heart.

As it happens, I also had some few thoughts of my own that I wanted to share – ones that, however selfishly, I couldn’t bear to see drowned out amidst the sea of congratulations on your victory and safe return. And so, ere our journey becomes a faded memory, I wanted to put them into words. But rest assured this is, first and foremost, nothing more than a simple message of thanks, albeit one that I felt could not be left to the mercy of character limits… A few lines could not express what all this has meant to me.

To some, the notion that watching a person I don’t know play a game I have already seen before could inspire this kind of soul-searching is one that might perhaps be deserving of ridicule. Many times in writing this, I thought myself ridiculous for doing so. But I think it’s only natural that a game that deals with big themes should evoke big feelings; a game whose story teaches us to look to the light within. To take one more step. And, of course, to forge ahead.

My earliest memory of your journey is of your battle against Shiva, far back towards the tail end of A Realm Reborn, and seeing your unforgettable reaction to this game at its most theatrical, as the boss phase changed and the music shifted from one genre to another… I also remember how the power went out in the Elven treehouse shortly before the battle, and you had to run downstairs to turn it on again. At the time, the thought that I might have any influence on your playthrough could not have been further from my mind. In truth, having my words perceived by others – or worse, read aloud – was still to me at this point a daunting prospect to say the least. But week by week, as my shyness abated, so did my self-confidence grow, and with it the sense that I might be able to be a small part of your experience after all.

As the weeks turned to months, and the months to years, this so-called ‘Final Fantasy Friday’ gradually came to be a part of my world – a constant, reassuring thing that I would eagerly look forward to in order to see me through the week. My anticipation however, was immediate, and from the very first my thoughts were fixated on all the things that the future would have in store for you. Oh, how I would idly daydream about your reactions to this cutscene, or that music track, about your reactions to the trailer for Heavensward, then Stormblood, and the rest. Every twist and reveal mapped out in my mind. Barely a week went by that I did not think of the day far in the future that I would be able to stand beside you in that field of Elpis flowers, and with elation in my heart bid the final curtain fall. Predictably, like so many things, that moment came all too quickly.

And to my immense surprise, I would also come to anticipate the fun, creative, and (so I liked to think) helpful ways that I could participate each week as well – every Friday an opportunity to give advice, an explanation, a small gift here and there – and it wouldn’t be long before I found myself furtively making meaningless spreadsheets or researching the next Good Stopping Point while I was supposed to be working. But what I could never have anticipated was all the times I would have the privilege of fighting alongside you, overcoming trial after trial with like-minded comrades in battles that eclipsed even my own first-time experiences in their grandeur; to go from being too shy to say anything at all, to leading your party? I could scarcely believe it. And yet, for all my new-found confidence, still there were the whisperings of doubt – my every contribution accompanied by a pang of guilt, and a concern that my enthusiasm was intruding on the experiences of others more deserving… And I would console myself with the fact that this was the only place I had where I could share the thing that meant so much to me, and that surely, just this once, no one would mind.

But to say that seeing your tale to a triumphant conclusion has for this entire time been my singular, guiding purpose would be a tragic admission indeed. Better then, perhaps, to instead say that it has felt like the culmination of every Gil or tomestone that I have spent or earned, and every ounce of knowledge that I have gained since I started my own journey over a decade ago. Either way, what’s not an exaggeration is to say that, for nearly five years now, one night a week in particular (most weeks, at least) has been one of the great pleasures and one of the great joys of my life as, through you, I re-lived the sorrows and the triumphs; the tales of loss, and fire, and faith. And, while I don’t like to congratulate myself… I’ll have you know, I’ve not missed a single week.

Yet those ephemeral things I mention seem like a fair price to pay for all that you’ve given me in return.

Memories of surprising and bewildering you with a flying bed, and of making for you your iconic Red Mage coat. Memories of a nerve-wracking meeting with Wisps for the first time in London. Memories of the pride I felt when you attended your first media tour. Memories of your delight at seeing your Free Company house transform into the home of your dreams. Memories of my first ever concert enjoyed with friends at Distant Worlds. Memories of our hard-won clashes against a sorcerer of eld, against mankind’s final hope, and against the embodiment of despair. And, who could forget, soon-to-be memories of finally attending a Fan Festival of my very own. These are the gifts that you have given me – not just these memories, but also the feeling that my time in this game had meant something greater beyond my own enjoyment. The feeling that I had found my voice again, and that my words could have the power to guide. And, for the first time in far too long a time, the feeling of having found meaningful friendships, with people whom I can say that I love; in other words, the feeling that my journey had been a good one. That it had been worthwhile.

But this moment is bittersweet too, for as your tale ends, so does mine. I will watch the journeys of others, of course, but to have been able to show someone this life-changing story and shape their journey with my own words and actions is a chance that will never come again. While some may be moving on to the next adventurer, for me this has been both the very first and the very last time – it is nothing less than a dream fulfilled, and every moment was precious. But more than that, I feel like I have achieved the impossible, and played this game for the first time again. So to that end, above anything else I could possibly have to say, I want to thank you, for allowing me to be a part of your journey, and for lending me your trust. But I also ask your forgiveness, for it was a journey that was not mine to shape.

Although… I speak as if it is THE end – as if this were a final farewell – when we all know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Our journey so far may be a memory, but your journey goes on, and you have so much more to see and do… To hear, to feel, and to think. A whole new continent to explore, and all the journeys after that besides (so many spreadsheets to make!). And, inspired by your heroism, you even have some brand new Warriors of Light to call upon – brave souls who embarked upon their own journeys purely for a chance to join you at your side, and in doing so found their own reasons to fight… A new tale is about to begin, with new parts for all to play. I simply wish that, wherever your journey takes you, and whatever the future looks like, there will still occasionally be a small part for me to play somewhere.

So I hope you’ll forgive me this moment of selfishness. And while I wouldn’t want you to feel obliged… Promise me you’ll take me on your next adventure. A journey. Together. That’s all I ask.