TL;DR
- If Square Enix rebuilt Final Fantasy VI, VIII, or IX at Final Fantasy VII Remake’s 2020–2027 production scale, a like-for-like scope would likely require 4–5 parts by the observed 3.5-year cadence between entries; see the math below using the 2020 Remake and 2024 Rebirth dates. [1][3]
- Square Enix’s May 2024 management policy emphasized a multiplatform-first posture after underperforming launches and “content abandonment” write-downs, which makes decade-long, multi-part bets harder to justify without clear ROI or platform guarantees. [2]
- A smarter path than “FF6 Remake Part I” is a scope‑focused template—HD‑2D‑scale reinterpretations, curated 3D setpieces, and modern UX—modeled on 2024’s Dragon Quest III HD‑2D release, while Creative Business Unit I wraps the Remake trilogy and reallocates senior leadership to the next mainline FF. [6]
What the source said
On June 16, 2022, Square Enix used the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary stream to confirm the Remake project as three parts—Remake (2020), Rebirth (2024), and an un‑titled third entry—establishing the trilogy structure and team continuity under director Naoki Hamaguchi. [4]
On February 29, 2024, Square Enix shipped Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PS5, reinforcing that the project’s fidelity targets—full performance capture, open‑area traversal, and orchestral score—push each entry into “major release” territory rather than remaster scale. [3]
On May 13, 2024, Square Enix told investors it would pursue a multiplatform strategy and tighten greenlighting after recognizing impairment losses tied to projects that missed expectations, a policy that directly affects how a four‑ or five‑part remake saga would be evaluated. [2]
Why it matters
Multi‑part remakes translate into multi‑year capital commitments: FFVII Remake hit on April 10, 2020, and Rebirth arrived on February 29, 2024, a 3.9‑year gap that implies large‑team burn rates sustained over half a decade per two entries. [1][3]
Square Enix’s May 2024 reset—consolidating development, revising platform strategy, and booking extraordinary losses—signals sharper hurdle rates for greenlighting any remake that could sprawl across an entire console generation (PS5/Xbox Series era) and into the next. [2]
For players, four–five installments mean narrative fragmentation across 10–14 years; that’s multiple hardware transitions, shifting OS SDKs, and the real risk that Part 1 players (2020) don’t persist through Part 4 or Part 5 a decade later. [1][3]
Original analysis
Final Fantasy remakes are colliding with three hard constraints: scope, cadence, and platform breadth. Here’s the concrete read, with math, a 2×2, a historical analogue, and stakeholder stakes.
- Back‑of‑envelope timeline math using shipped dates
- Known ship dates:
- Final Fantasy VII Remake: April 10, 2020. [1]
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: February 29, 2024. [3]
- Measured interval: 2020‑04‑10 to 2024‑02‑29 ≈ 3 years 10 months (about 3.9 years). Average cadence target for a third entry that shortens a bit with asset reuse is ~3.0–3.5 years in practice; call 3.5 years the working figure anchored on observable history. [1][3]
- If a hypothetical FF6 project truly needed 4 parts at that scope, the span from Part 1 to Part 4 equals three intervals: 3 × 3.5 ≈ 10.5 years; 5 parts equals four intervals: 4 × 3.5 ≈ 14 years. That horizon exceeds a typical console generation (7–8 years) and approaches two, stressing team continuity and audience retention.
- A 2×2 for FF remakes: Ambition vs. Cadence
- High Ambition / Fast Cadence: Physics bites; scope creep and slippage multiply.
- High Ambition / Slow Cadence: FF6‑at‑FF7R fidelity in 4–5 parts; you invite platform churn, decade‑long waits, and marketing fatigue.
- Low Ambition / Fast Cadence: HD‑2D‑scale reinterpretations, selective 3D setpieces, modern UI/UX, and targeted spectacle; healthier margins and faster shipping, proven by Dragon Quest III HD‑2D’s 2024 execution. [6]
- Low Ambition / Slow Cadence: Lowest reward; highest boredom.
Square Enix’s 2024 policy shift away from platform bets that over‑constrain revenue makes the High Ambition / Slow Cadence quadrant the riskiest for a remake slate. [2]
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Historical analogue: episodic gravity wells
Valve’s Half‑Life 2 plan shipped Episode One on June 1, 2006, and Episode Two on October 10, 2007, then stalled; the promised Episode Three never arrived, and the brand hibernated until 2020’s Half‑Life: Alyx. The lesson: episodic roadmaps that outlive toolchains, teams, and platforms collapse under their own gravity. A four‑ or five‑part FF6 at AAA scale risks the same dynamic. [5] -
Named‑stakeholder breakdown—who wins, who sweats
- Creative Business Unit I (Tokyo): Wrapping the FF7 trilogy at high quality by ~2027 and moving Naoki Hamaguchi to the next mainline FF preserves leadership momentum and avoids a 10–14 year treadmill. [3][4]
- Square Enix Holdings (Tokyo): After May 2024 impairments, finance prefers shorter cycle times, clearer LTV, and multiplatform reach; four‑ or five‑part megaprojects tie up QA, localization, and marketing capacity across a decade. [2]
- Platform holders (Sony/Microsoft): Timed exclusivity can juice 12–24‑month windows, but Square Enix’s 2024 stance reduces single‑platform lock‑ins, shifting negotiations toward marketing beats and content bundles rather than multi‑year content silos. [2]
- Team Asano (HD‑2D group): Proven pipelines on Octopath Traveler (2018/2020) and Dragon Quest III HD‑2D (2024) let Square Enix slot mid‑scope remakes on 18–30‑month cadences without starving flagship teams. [6]
- Contrarian read: accept “fragmentation,” design for it
Design a four‑part FF6 but price and package like TV seasons: shorter entries (~20–25 hours), annual cadence, and shared tech across PS5/Xbox/PC; if and only if Square Enix matches a sports‑game‑style ship rhythm (e.g., Q4 every year) and locks a five‑year vendor plan for QA and localization, the “episodic gravity” penalty shrinks. The catch is sustaining a one‑year interval at high fidelity, which Square Enix has not demonstrated on console RPGs since the PS2 era.
What others are missing
The underrated cost driver is the test and localization matrix scale: FFVII Remake Intergrade’s PC page lists 13 interface/subtitle languages (with full audio in 2), and a three‑platform launch multiplies base text QA to at least 39 configuration paths before DLC, patches, and region‑specific SKUs get added. Multiply that across four entries and you inflate QA hours, VO continuity contracts, and patch certification runs by low‑six figures per entry, which erodes margins even if development headcount stays flat. [7]
What to watch next
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By March 31, 2027, Square Enix’s annual report will formalize a multiplatform KPI (e.g., share of new launches shipping day‑and‑date on ≥2 console ecosystems plus PC), reflecting the May 2024 strategy. This is falsifiable via the FY2026 or FY2027 investor materials. [2]
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By December 31, 2026, Square Enix will announce at least one “HD‑2D‑scale” remake of a 3D‑era Square or Enix RPG (1995–2002 vintage) under a Team Asano production banner, with a target ship window within 18 months of reveal. This is falsifiable via a Nintendo Direct, TGS stage, or Square Enix Presents. [6]
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By June 30, 2027, the third FFVII Remake entry will have its platforms named publicly, and the announcement will include at least two of PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC day‑and‑date, aligning with the 2024 multiplatform strategy. This is falsifiable via official trailers or platform blogs. [2][4]
Sources
[1] PlayStation Blog — “Final Fantasy VII Remake launches April 10, 2020” — contributes: authoritative ship date for Part 1 used in cadence math.
[2] Square Enix Holdings IR (May 2024) — FY2023/2024 results briefing and management policy — contributes: multiplatform‑first strategy, restructuring, and impairment context for greenlighting.
[3] Square Enix — “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches February 29, 2024” — contributes: authoritative ship date for Part 2 used in cadence math.
[4] Gematsu (June 2022) — Coverage of FFVII 25th Anniversary stream confirming a three‑part Remake project — contributes: trilogy structure and leadership continuity context.
[5] Steam (store.steampowered.com) — Half‑Life 2: Episode One (2006‑06‑01) and Episode Two (2007‑10‑10) release pages — contributes: episodic cadence and stall analogue with dated entries.
[6] Square Enix — Dragon Quest III HD‑2D (2024) official materials — contributes: concrete example of a scope‑managed remake template shipping in 2024.
[7] Steam — Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade PC store page — contributes: language support list used to quantify base QA and localization matrix size.
Related update: We recently published an article that expands on this topic: read the latest post.
