Summary
Final Fantasy 14director Naoki Yoshida is no longer on Square Enix’s board of directors in the company’s latest corporate shake-up. Known affectionately as “Yoshi-P,” Yoshida has had a hand in many recentFinal Fantasyprojects, most notably the revamped version ofFinal Fantasy 14that launched in 2013. He also served as director and producer for many of the MMO’s later expansions and produced 2023’sFinal Fantasy 16.
AfterFinal Fantasy 14became a blockbuster success, Yoshida was placed on Square Enix’s board of directors in 2018. However, this decision might not have been his own, and in 2023, Yoshi P told a Dutch newspaper that he would rather spend his timeworking on games likeFinal Fantasy 14than sit at the head of the company. He reportedly even tried to resign from his position on the board of directors around that time, but was apparently talked out of it.
Now it seems like Yoshida has finally gotten his wish about two years later, asAutomatonreports that he is no longer listed as part of Square Enix’s board of directors as of last week. It isn’t clear if Yoshi-P stepped down of his own volition or was removed from the position as part ofSquare Enix’s recent corporate reshufflings, but Square Enix confirmed toGamesRadar+that he will resign from the board after the General Shareholders’ Meeting and the Board of Directors’ Meeting in May.
Yoshi-P Will Stay at Square Enix as an Executive Officer
Yoshida isn’t leaving Square Enix entirely, as he is still listed as the company’s executive officer, a position he has held since 2015. Additionally, Square Enix confirmed that Yoshi-P will join the company’s executive management committee starting on April 1. It isn’t clear how this latest corporate upheavalwill affectFinal Fantasy 14, which is set to reveal details about a new wave of content on March 14. This will include the upcoming Seekers of Eternity update, which will add new story missions and features like Cosmic Exploration.
Judging from some of his past statements, Yoshida might actually be happy to no longer be on Square Enix’s board of directors, as he will probably have more time to plan his next gaming project. In the past, he has weighed in on the possibility ofbringingFinal Fantasy 14to Nintendo consoles, discussed bringing classic Square Enix titles likeVagrant StoryandFinal Fantasy Tactics tonew hardware, and even commented on rumors of aFinal Fantasy 9remake that many fans have been hoping for.
