Square Enix has not yet announced the development of Final Fantasy 17, but discussions about a potential project leader are ongoing. During an event dedicated to Final Fantasy 14, producer and director Naoki Yoshida invited Naoki Hamaguchi to the stage, sparking interest in his possible involvement in the next main installment of the series. Hamaguchi's reaction to a question about the future of Final Fantasy caught the attention of fans, as he chose not to answer, which led to further speculation within the community.

The event also covered the upcoming FF14 Evercold expansion and a collaborative raid with FF7. On social media, many players expressed their desire to see Hamaguchi as the director of Final Fantasy 17. However, there have been no official confirmations regarding this matter.

The future of the seventeenth entry in the series remains uncertain, despite rumors that work on the game may already be underway. If the project is indeed in development, Hamaguchi's involvement could be limited, as he is currently focused on completing the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 remake following the release of the first two games. Managing several major projects simultaneously could present additional challenges and potentially impact the release timeline of the new game. The next installment will require the creation of a unique world and original storyline, rather than revisiting existing titles.

Square Enix is also considering bringing in a new director. Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida previously hinted that the leadership of the next game might be entrusted to an unexpected candidate, which rules out both Hiroshi Takai and Yoshida himself.

Naoki Hamaguchi, for his part, has expressed interest in working on a new JRPG after finishing work on Revelation. He has not ruled out the possibility of creating an original game within the Final Fantasy universe, but is also open to developing a unique intellectual property.

Square Enix is aiming for higher long-term sales following the release of Final Fantasy 17. One way to achieve this goal could be a multiplatform launch, which would improve performance compared to the previous installment, which was initially a PS5 exclusive.