Recently, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada stated that he was open to the idea of outsourcing the Final Fantasy franchise to western developers. Well, we’ve known about former developer Grin’s Project Fortress for some time now, so clearly, it is a decision Square have been considering for quite some time.
Information on Project Fortress trickled out onto the net for weeks following its initial discovery by way of artist resumés. But the extent of our knowledge of the game at the time was that it was set in Ivalice and may or may not be directly connected to Final Fantasy XII… at least until now.
After coming across the above concept art for Ashe from yet another artist resumé, it’s probably safe to assume there was a stronger connection to FFXII than we initially believed. Her crown, which looks similar to the one worn by Raminas, would suggest that she’s gone up the majestic ladder since her FFXII days. This probably means Fortress takes place sometime in the future.
There’s also concept art for a grumpy-looking Moogle, who gives off a very "Cid" vibe for some reason. (Don’t ask) Who has control of Project Fortress following Grin’s closure is still unknown, but at least we have a vague idea of the direction the game was taking before it changed hands.
