It’s not typically that administrators get a second crack at delivering their online game idea.
Naoki Hamaguchi, co-director of Closing Fantasy 7 Remake – itself a second try at decoding a 1997 basic – already had his probability at delivering an improved model with 2021’s Intergrade. Now, FF7 Remake is coming to Xbox and Nintendo Swap 2 for the primary time, providing its personal tweaks.
The upcoming ports, which is able to launch on January 22, 2026, introduce new issue choices, permitting gamers to tweak HP, harm, and extra to go well with their play fashion. As Hamaguchi defined in an interview with VGC, the event group has additionally labored wonders getting the Swap 2 version to look remarkably akin to the opposite variations of the RPG.
Hamaguchi hopes the truth that FF7 Remake seems to be and runs nice on Swap 2 will alleviate issues from some followers that latest information that all the Remake trilogy goes multiplatform – together with the upcoming third and closing half – doesn’t essentially imply it will likely be compromised for weaker platforms.
“I feel there may be really one massive benefit in my favour right here that perhaps different administrators wouldn’t have, which is that I began out as an engineer and I’ve a really sturdy programming background, so I very a lot perceive the technical aspect of growth as properly,” he defined.
Hamaguchi stated his Sq. Enix growth group is working onerous to make sure that the upcoming Rebirth port, and the eventual Half 3, will look simply nearly as good on Swap 2.
“Nintendo gamers sooner or later, you actually don’t want to fret in any respect. They’re going to get a model that’s simply as satisfying and simply as prime quality as the primary recreation, if not greater.”
In our interview, the director additionally touched on the continued growth of Closing Fantasy Remake Half 3, which he says he’s “very assured” about and hopes to ship within the “not-too-distant” future.
Hamaguchi additionally elaborated on his latest feedback that Half 3 would really feel “extra concise”, explaining that he meant he intends to make the third recreation higher paced, somewhat than condensing its content material as some had feared.
“It’s about ensuring the pacing feels proper, it’s not about reducing out content material, it’s ensuring that it feels proper, the pace that the story progresses at feels proper, and it’s pretty fast and appears like you may get by means of it at an affordable tempo,” he defined.
Learn on for our full interview with Naoki Hamaguchi. Closing Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will launch for Xbox Collection and Nintendo Swap 2 on January 22, 2026.
Builders typically say their video games are deserted, somewhat than completed. How grateful do you are feeling to have been capable of revisit Closing Fantasy 7 Remake and make changes not solely with Intergrade, however now with Xbox and Nintendo Swap 2 variations?
I feel there are most likely two features of what you’re asking there. The primary one is about how I really feel about having the ability to work once more on this masterpiece from 30 years in the past and recreate that for players at present. And I used to be a fan of the sport, I performed it again within the day when it first got here out, and I actually beloved the sport.
I feel that’s actually necessary as a result of I can preserve that fan perspective on it as somebody who wasn’t concerned in that preliminary growth. So I perceive what the followers are on the lookout for, what they actually worth within the recreation, and easy methods to strategy remaking that, reimagining that in a method that goes even deeper and digs into it, and makes it one thing that the followers who beloved it earlier than will love much more once more. I feel the truth that I may be concerned in that and preserve that fan perspective is de facto necessary.
The second a part of that’s clearly with the transfer to multi-platform, going to all these new platforms with the sport. I feel the technique beforehand, the enterprise technique from the corporate for the Remake sequence, clearly targeted extra on PlayStation, and lots of people loved the sport enjoying on PlayStation. However after all, we received lots of people asking, ‘I’d like to play this on Xbox’, ‘I need to play this on Nintendo {hardware}’.
We’ve been listening to these voices, we perceive, and having the ability to return and provides this recreation to all these individuals who have been seeking to play it however haven’t been capable of, as a recreation creator, makes me actually glad. I’m simply delighted to have the ability to see extra individuals capable of play the sport who actually need to play it.
“I perceive what the followers are on the lookout for, what they actually worth within the recreation, and easy methods to strategy remaking that in a method that goes even deeper”
The Swap 2 port seems to be improbable and actually beneficial in comparison with the next-gen console model. Had been you shocked at how properly it ran? Or did it require a number of work initially?
I feel the Swap 2 is a very nice piece of {hardware}. I actually respect its technical specs, its capabilities, particularly the reminiscence. It’s received actually nice reminiscence, and positively, importing video games that we’ve beforehand made for different {hardware} for PlayStation {hardware} or PC is definitely pretty trouble-free. Importing that over and getting it to a state the place it could possibly run on Swap 2 entails not a substantial amount of issue in getting that far.
The factor about Swap 2, although, is that due to the TV mode and docked modes, the specs of the {hardware} really change between the 2 modes. It’s for superb causes like saving on battery energy and many others, however the capabilities of the {hardware} are literally decrease in handheld mode. It’s primarily the body fee that hits, so to get a very steady body fee, we needed to put within the effort and do the tweaking to get that proper. And that’s not simply us; a number of builders will come throughout that hurdle on Swap 2.
So as to obtain that, our engineers got here up with a number of particular optimizations for Swap 2 involving the rendering construction and processing used within the recreation, and repeating that till the sport was in a very good place. That’s the place the trouble went, and I feel the outcomes of which are actually constructive. Definitely, we’ve sort of proved this by trying on the reactions of followers and media the place we’ve proven the sport off.
I’d say we’re assured that, of all of the video games presently on Swap 2, we’ve most likely reached the best level when it comes to graphical high quality mixed with a steady body fee. I feel in the mean time we’re primary in that and I’m very proud… it was an enormous success from all of the onerous work that the group has completed.
You’ve stated a number of groups are dealing with the ports, as a part of your shift to multiplatform growth. How does that work with you as director? And the way do you guarantee you may preserve synergy with the totally different groups?
Fairly than having a number of groups engaged on the identical recreation, definitely for the third recreation within the sequence, we’ve received one other group which is engaged on all platform variations of that recreation, to cut back the quantity of labor when it comes to adapting that to totally different {hardware} platforms. We’re engaged on the Unreal Engine on Home windows to create the bottom core model of that recreation, which is then going to be the template for all variations.
The best way we’re dealing with it’s that there’s really a separate group, it’s a group particularly of engineers, we name them ‘The Porting Squad’ or ‘The Multiplatform Squad’. These guys are those trying on the technical aspect of easy methods to transfer the sport and adapt it to totally different platforms, to fulfill the totally different necessities on these platforms.
For instance, if there’s a sure asset which on this particular {hardware} goes over the regulation, the volumes of knowledge and many others, and that wants tweaking for that particular platform, then they would be the ones primarily dealing with that. The concept of that’s to cut back the burden on the primary growth group, all of the planners, the administrators, the inventive leads and many others. Clearly, if there is a matter that they should work on on the primary dev group aspect, they are going to share data, they are going to come again and say, ‘this wants adapting, can we work on that?’ However usually, they’re stored separate to work on all of the multi-platform points.
I used to be really shocked by the [outside] response to this information. After we launched the information that we have been going to deliver the entire of the Closing Fantasy VII Remake sequence, all three elements of the trilogy, multiplatform, and that the third recreation goes to exit on a number of platforms, the overwhelming majority of response we received was actually constructive, as a result of it means individuals can play on the platform they need to play on.
However I used to be a bit bit shocked that there have been a couple of individuals who noticed that as a priority, who have been saying, ‘would that not have an effect on the inventive aspect of it, if you will develop it on multi-platform? Is it going to carry you again, or is that going to limit the inventive aspect?’
Honest sufficient, I can perceive the logic there, however I used to be a bit bit shocked at seeing it. So should you might get this message out, it might be actually appreciated. The choice we made to try this has been thought by means of very properly. As I stated, the construction that I put in place, which I simply described, the place they received the inventive aspect group, and so they do the inventive work fully in isolation from any enthusiastic about what platforms it goes on, after which if there are issues, it’s labored on by one other group.
That basically helps be sure that there are not any breaks placed on the event, we aren’t holding again on something on the inventive aspect, and it will likely be the last word model, the inventive imaginative and prescient that we need to make for the third a part of the Remake sequence. So hopefully individuals may be reassured by that, that we now have thought very strongly by means of this, and we now have made positive that multiplatform is unquestionably going to be a plus, and it’s by no means going to carry the mission again.
So are there hardly ever any incidents the place you, as a director, should be pulled into the porting work? For instance, an concept that the group may flag as troublesome to implement on sure lower-power platforms.
I feel there may be really one massive benefit in my favour right here that perhaps different administrators wouldn’t have is that I began out as an engineer and I’ve a really sturdy programming background, so I very a lot perceive the technical aspect of growth as properly.
For instance, you get administrators, perhaps who aren’t initially engineers, who’re extra on the inventive aspect, they clearly would have that situation the place they’ve this large inventive imaginative and prescient, however then afterwards, uncover that to truly obtain that, there are these restrictions, there are these limitations, and technically that’s actually troublesome.
“Hopefully individuals may be reassured… that we now have thought very strongly by means of this, and we now have made positive that multiplatform is unquestionably going to be a plus, and it’s by no means going to carry the mission again.”
As a result of I’ve each, I’ve the understanding of the technical aspect and the system necessities as properly, and I’ve usually received an excellent concept of what degree of {hardware} spec permits a sure inventive resolution to be realized or not. So in that sense, it is rather synchronized.
When I’m speaking my imaginative and prescient to the group and instructing them, I come from that perspective, so I feel that basically does assist cut back these sorts of disjuncts between the inventive imaginative and prescient and the technical aspect, as a result of I perceive all that from the start. So I feel that may be a massive benefit of getting myself on the high of the group, simply due to the background I’ve.
It appears you’re within the technical aspect, so I’ll offer you a selected instance of how my engineering background helped. Clearly, after we’re transferring video games from earlier platforms onto the Swap 2, particularly in handheld mode, it turns into fairly a difficulty. Like I stated, clearly, results require a number of processing burden, and the Swap 2 can’t actually sustain with that in handheld mode. So we wanted to discover how we might cut back that burden and the info that must be processed.
There are numerous methods round it and numerous approaches you may take, however you must work out what the precise factor to do is and what the mistaken factor to do is. Definitely, the choice I made there… Closing Fantasy 7 and the Remake sequence could be very a lot a character-driven one. It’s received such sturdy, iconic characters, and I feel it was actually necessary that these characters seem in the absolute best high quality, and the way their facial expressions and feelings come throughout is sort of all right down to lighting.
The best way that these characters are lit actually does change, even when it’s precisely the identical mannequin, precisely the identical facial features… Having totally different lighting can fully change how they seem. So I felt what we don’t need right here is that the Swap model seems to be worse and even totally different when it comes to that lighting, how that modifications the characters, how they seem, and the way they’re introduced.
In order I stated initially, despite the fact that lighting is sort of a excessive burden a part of the processing, it takes up a number of reminiscence and processing, that needed to keep the identical. That was my concept. We couldn’t actually contact that and that needed to be maintained. So then we checked out, OK, what can we work round? We checked out different issues like producing the shadows – that could possibly be modified. We additionally checked out submit results and different issues that may take up processing burden.
In order that they have been redone to look as comparable as attainable to the unique ones, however with a special sort of processing fashion. And that was all reworked to truly cut back the burden lots. And that’s what allowed us to get that basically sturdy body fee in handheld mode. Plenty of effort was put in by my rendering engineer group, they did a very good job on it. I feel that’s been confirmed with the outcome that we’ve proven off. So yeah, that was one actual benefit of me being from that technical perspective and understanding precisely how that interacts with the inventive aspect of it.
On fan concern relating to multiplatform growth, most of that was probably surrounding Elements 2 and three, that are clearly next-gen console video games primarily. So what sort of high quality do you hope to have the ability to obtain with Rebirth on Swap 2? Do you assume followers can be equally shocked?
Sure, clearly, we’re working very onerous to make it possible for is the case, and that individuals are going to get that top high quality they’re on the lookout for. I feel we now have sort of proved that idea to the world already, in some methods, with the discharge of Rebirth on Steam Deck. I feel we noticed an analogous sort of response there, the place individuals stated,’ wow, it’s really operating on Steam Deck, it seems to be actually good, it’s a top quality a lot greater than I believed they might get on Steam Deck’.
In that sense, that was the place we did the experiments, to work out easy methods to get these high-level video games right into a cell platform. Clearly, there’s a little bit of a distinction within the specs and the capability between Steam Deck and Swap 2 and numerous different handheld recreation methods. However I feel we managed to get such a superb outcome there, and that basically did assist with the planning and the understanding of how to try this going ahead within the sequence.
“I’d say we’re assured that, of all of the video games presently on Swap 2, we’ve most likely reached the best level when it comes to graphical high quality mixed with a steady body fee”
Clearly, we received Steam Deck verified for that. So I feel individuals may be reassured that. As a result of I see that as a mission, personally, that each model ought to be as shut as attainable to the prime quality that we would like for this, and I’m positively going to maintain pushing that going ahead within the sequence.
Once more, it appears that you’re very within the technical aspect, so I can positively go into {that a} bit extra. What we did was, the preliminary experiments allowed us to attain this flexibility when it comes to supporting totally different ranges of graphical capability in several {hardware}. Plenty of that was completed for the PC model of the sport.
Clearly, we needed to run the entire gamut there between the Steam Deck and the comparatively decrease specs that has as much as actual high-end PCs, so we created a system that would assist all of these and adapt the graphical degree to what processing energy was out there.
We really created a rendering pipeline throughout the PC Unreal Engine. It’s just like Nanite, it’s not Nanite, it’s just like it, however we created a novel versatile pipeline of our personal and that may actually adapt numerous components. For instance, the variety of polygons utilized in an asset, or the decision for particular belongings, relying on the processing energy out there. That gave us a very good vary to work with on PC and actually assist with the event of the PC model.
Clearly, after we take that to different platforms, like Nintendo Swap 2, for instance, you may simply pull that over, use the identical versatile system and say, okay, properly, the place does Swap match into that? You get a reasonably good outcome, however it might nonetheless depart some tough areas. For instance, you have a look at among the belongings and say, okay, due to the way in which Swap interacts otherwise, that left that trying a bit bit too tough.
So we went after that and did some Swap 2-specific optimizations and additional tweaks to make it possible for the body fee, for instance, or like I stated earlier than, through the use of an analogous however totally different rendering fashion or processing totally different equations, you may decrease the processing burden and thus shoot up the decision or the body fee, and many others.
So I feel we received a very good response to the primary recreation on PC, and that’s actually helped us and given us the know-how and the power to maintain that going, mirror on that, and perhaps even push it additional in Rebirth and within the third recreation within the sequence going ahead.
So what I need to say is, due to all that experimentation stuff we’ve completed on the PC to ensure of that, Nintendo gamers sooner or later, you actually don’t want to fret in any respect. They’re going to get a model that’s simply as satisfying and simply as prime quality as the primary recreation, if not greater.
You’re right here in London, and I think about promotion excursions away out of your desk may be thrilling. However I’m additionally weary you’re busy engaged on the following recreation behind the scenes, and the stress to ship a satisfying conclusion to such an bold trilogy have to be important. May you speak a bit about the way you’re feeling proper now with all this occurring?
That’s a really well mannered method of asking that! Thanks. The best way you’re imagining it’s most likely not too removed from the reality. I’m as much as my waist in growth, and I’m actually concerned within the every day grind of that. I’m very busy, you’re positively proper on that.
There may be positively that feeling of accountability. You may name it stress to ship the right conclusion to the sequence, for the followers on the market who’re so eagerly awaiting and loving this. However in the mean time, I’m having enjoyable with it. I actually do take pleasure in it. I feel that’s crucial to maintain that enjoyment.
This can be one thing that we are able to giggle about, however sure, I actually take pleasure in these alternatives to speak to the followers and the media. It’s a motivation for me. It’s actually satisfying and I actually take pleasure in this. It’s a good time for me, and I like doing the media-facing aspect of issues.
“You may name it stress to ship the right conclusion to the sequence to the followers on the market who’re so anticipating and loving this. However in the mean time, I’m having enjoyable with it.”
On the identical time, I nonetheless should preserve engaged on the Japan aspect, controlling the group, and dealing on the event there. Clearly, once I’m overseas doing these sorts of occasions due to time zone variations, a number of the time I’ll be working in what would be the nighttime interval in Japan, after which I’ll be doing my common job and speaking with the Japan group throughout the nighttime there whereas I’m doing media stuff within the day.
As a result of normally coming to Europe or North America entails lengthy 10-hour or extra flights, I’m engaged on the aircraft as properly. Clearly, these days you’ve received Wi-Fi on planes, so I can proceed working my job speaking with Japan then. Nearly all the time, as quickly as I get on the flight, I open my laptop computer and simply work there the entire time.
Plenty of the time, I get flight attendants who will come to me and say, ‘Wow, I don’t see that many individuals simply working continually the entire time, are you okay? Would you like me to deliver you one thing?’ I’m actually glad that they appear after me, but it surely’s a bit bit embarrassing.
Clearly, you’re not speaking about Half 3 a lot in the mean time, however you have been quoted within the press lately as stating that the third recreation could be extra “concise” in comparison with Rebirth. May you elaborate on that?
That’s really one thing I wished to talk about at present, so I’m glad that you simply requested that.
Simply to elucidate, the unique query I used to be requested there was, they stated that there are some individuals who performed Rebirth, the second recreation within the sequence, and so they felt that as a result of we’ve added in new story content material, which wasn’t within the authentic Closing Fantasy 7, to them it felt just like the story was being stretched out. In order that they requested whether or not we have been contemplating doing something associated to that within the third recreation.
By way of the results of Closing Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the last word expertise that it delivered to gamers, that’s really one thing that I’m very assured in. I imply, I don’t need to blow my very own trumpet an excessive amount of, however the way in which I work as a director, I don’t assume there are that many different administrators on the market who, to the extent that I do that, are enjoying by means of the video games that I’m directing, sitting there and going by means of them and enjoying them many times and once more, simply to try to see if the gameplay expertise and the stability feels proper.
As a result of I achieve this a lot of that in my every day job, that’s a very necessary factor. I’ve put a number of effort into that. There can’t be that many different administrators who put that a lot emphasis on that. I really feel that the pacing, the content material, and the stability in Rebirth is strictly as I wished it. I personally don’t really feel it’s been stretched out; it doesn’t really feel unnecessarily lengthy. To me, I feel I received that proper, and I feel lots of people would agree with me.
However clearly, I perceive that there are perhaps individuals who would see it like that and perhaps really feel otherwise. That’s high quality, I see the individuals who categorical these opinions, and that’s positively price taking over board that some individuals felt that.
Nevertheless, for the third recreation, when it comes to what I stated about that and the way in which I’m taking a look at that’s about bettering the pacing and ensuring that, to attain an excellent higher degree of immersion within the recreation, we make it possible for the story developments transfer ahead in a reasonably speedy method and with the precise tempo basically, somewhat than feeling sluggish and drawn out.
I feel which will have been misconstrued by individuals; they could have stated, ‘OK, meaning they’re going to chop down on the amount and so they’re going to take away story content material, it’s going to be a shorter recreation, they’re going to chop it down’, and that’s not what I’m saying in any respect. It’s about ensuring the pacing feels proper, it’s not about reducing out content material, it’s ensuring that it feels proper, the pace that the story progresses at feels proper, and it’s pretty fast and appears like you may get by means of it at an affordable tempo. Nevertheless it has to really feel proper, in order that’s what I primarily meant to say there.
Many trendy turn-based RPGs, most notably Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 this yr, have adopted an Energetic Time Battle fashion system the place gamers are nonetheless dodging and parrying between turns. As a director on the Closing Fantasy 13 sequence, I puzzled should you seen that, and the way you assume that sequence could be acquired at present?
Sure, I labored on all of the Closing Fantasy 13 video games. I feel they have been very well completed, and I get a number of response from followers who actually preferred them. There’s a very massive fan neighborhood on the market who’re actually enthusiastic about these video games nonetheless.
“It’s about ensuring the pacing feels proper, it’s not about reducing out content material, it’s ensuring that it feels proper, the pace that the story progresses at feels proper”
In fact, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 got here out this yr, and there’s been a number of love from followers and the media for that recreation. However I do bear in mind, precisely such as you stated in your query, I felt equally once I noticed that: ‘OK, that’s what they’ve completed with their recreation, I bear in mind doing that fairly some time in the past with Lightning Returns…’ It does appear to make use of an analogous sort of system to what we did.
Speaking about Clair Obscur, although, I feel it’s very simple for individuals to focus an excessive amount of perhaps on that mechanics aspect of it. Clearly, it’s a really massive story within the gaming trade this yr, so it’s a really apparent factor to level to. It’s adopted the JRPG custom, it’s a turn-based, but it surely provides in all these sorts of extra action-style mechanics, such as you’ve received the pinpoint timing guard, you’ve received the parry mechanic, and many others.
It’s clearly a part of what makes it a superb recreation, however I don’t assume individuals ought to be focusing an excessive amount of on that. I feel the explanation why it’s such a superb recreation and why it’s completed so properly and been so properly regarded is that, total, it has a very nice stability of all the opposite features to it as properly. It’s received a very nice story, the tradition behind it, it’s very a lot steeped in French historical past and tradition, and so they’ve received that facet to it, which makes it distinctive in its personal proper.
They’ve completed that very properly. The topic of the story, as properly, could also be comparable in some methods to what trendy drama sequence do, and reveal issues slowly, however the concept is that you simply’ve received this thriller, and because the story progresses, you may be taught extra concerning the world and what this thriller actually means. I feel that’s very easy to grasp. It’s actually catchy for individuals who like that sort of trendy storytelling fashion.
I feel the explanation it’s such a superb recreation is as a result of all of that’s so properly balanced, and each single facet is so properly completed. As a recreation creator, as somebody who seems to be at how individuals respect video games, I don’t need individuals to get too targeted on, ‘oh, it’s a JRPG, it makes use of these mechanics, that’s why it’s standard. ’ I feel it’s not a case of should you make a JRPG-style recreation, you set these mechanics in, something goes to promote. That’s not the case.
It’s as a result of it’s such an entire product. I’d simply be actually glad if individuals respect and respect that recreation for these issues, somewhat than simply as a result of it makes use of that sort of tackle JRPG.
Lastly, Ben Starr, star of Closing Fantasy 16 and buddy of VGC, requested me to ask you if he can voice a golden Chocobo in Closing Fantasy Remake Half 3?
I’ll ask the group in the event that they need to try this!
I’ve received the impression he’s sort of the man that, at each occasion you go to, he’s there. So I’m going to should see him at London Comedian Con this weekend, as a result of I’d think about he’d most likely be there as properly! I’ll stay up for seeing him.
Thanks to your time.
Can I’ve one closing message?
Sure, after all.
Two closing issues from me. To begin with, we’re working actually onerous on the third recreation within the Remake sequence in the mean time. It’s coming alongside very well. I’ve received in my head the imaginative and prescient now, the gameplay construction, the gameplay expertise, the core expertise, and it’s trying in a very good state.
It’s one thing actually satisfying that players can get their enamel into, and it’ll be only a good expertise that it actually ought to be and needs to be. So we’re going to work on that, brush that up even additional, after which ship it within the not-too-distant future. You actually can stay up for that climax of the sequence, and it’ll be precisely what you need it to be. So don’t fear about that. It’s coming, and it’s simply nearly as good as you assume it’s. I’m very assured within the recreation that I’m making there.
After which lastly, for individuals, I’m positive with the brand new alternatives coming to new platforms for Closing Fantasy Remake, I’m positive there are lots of people on the market who’ve wished to play this recreation, however perhaps haven’t had the precise {hardware} setting to play it on earlier than. So it’s only a actually good expertise if you wish to play that now.
We’ve received Rebirth coming pretty quickly, transferring into the third recreation. So take this chance proper now, play the sport. It’s the last word Closing Fantasy 7 expertise that, should you play the unique and like it, you’ll actually like this one as properly. After which should you get into these now, you may have the ability to play the third recreation when it comes out alongside everybody else, as a result of it’s coming to all platforms.
