Square Enix has been sharing developer messages congratulating the Final Fantasy XIV team on the 10th anniversary of A Realm Reborn, and some of the developers offering congratulations include Yoko Taro and Yasumi Matsuno.
Yasumi Matsuno, director of Final Fantasy Tactics, offered his message through his Final Fantasy XIV character. He gave thanks to the team and reminisced on the challenges of working on the Return to Ivalice and Save the Queen quest lines. He also talked about being surprised at the Emperor of Garlemald’s role in Shadowbringers.
Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito, director and producer of Nier: Automata respectively, also offered a joint message congratulating the team on the Final Fantasy XIV anniversary. Their message was much more chaotic, as Taro asked Saito about his divorce, the two discussed Naoki Yoshida’s tendency to wear heavy shoes and “jingle-jangle accessories”. The message ends with them discussing whether they’ll still be alive for the 20th anniversary.
Other developers have offered their congratulations too. Akihiro Hino (President of Level-5) and Noda Crystal (member of comedy group Magical Lovely) both offered their memories of playing the game. Previous developer messages have included fellow Final Fantasy veterans Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yoshitaka Amano.
These developer messages are part of a wide range of 10th anniversary celebrations for Final Fantasy XIV. Previously, developers on the game were interviewed about their experiences by Famitsu, and a Memorial Book will be released on December 19, 2023.
Final Fantasy XIV is available now on the PS4, PS5 and PC.
