Naoki Yoshida, also known as “Yoshi-P,” is famously known for the highly successful Final Fantasy XIV, regarded as the franchise’s resurgence. However, despite his past triumph, a recent interview with Dutch publication NRC Handelsblad suggests his unhappiness with his current position.
In the past, Yoshida took on the hands-on approach as a producer and director for multiple entries, including Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, and Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers. Since then, he is now a part of the board of directors and has primarily taken on the role of the series producer, with his most recent entry FFXVI.
According to the interview, Naoki seemingly does not like this position, resulting in his attempt to quit the Square Enix board. However, the company disagreed with his actions and kept him on, despite his despondency.
Although Yoshida wants to quit the board, it doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to give up on Square Enix or Final Fantasy as a whole. In fact, the interview implies his desire to focus solely on the game-making aspect, as he finds it highly entertaining.
Some fans in the comments have expressed their concerns about Naoki’s current job, in which they want the board to at least consider his wishes to give him more creative freedom. Hopefully, Yoshida will get back into the game through the development process, but only time will tell.
