Final Fantasy 14's Naoki Yoshida: Monster Hunter Wilds crossover event became reality over a couple of drinks

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn celebrated its 12th anniversary on August 27, 2025, marking a spectacular milestone for Square Enix’s ongoing MMORPG, which has enjoyed enduring success over the years and is now collaborating with Capcom for a Monster Hunter Wilds crossover event. 

To celebrate this occasion, VGC interviewed director Naoki Yoshida at Gamescom 2025, where he discussed the game’s community, recent crossovers, and the future of Final Fantasy XIV. Yoshida was forthcoming and began by thanking the interviewer, saying:

“First and foremost, I’d like to say thank you for joining us at Final Fantasy 14 on the first day of Gamescom, right at the start. I’m sure you’re extremely busy, so I really appreciate your time.”

The interview kicked off with a discussion regarding the newly announced crossover between Final Fantasy XIV and Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds, which was revealed during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, held on August 19, 2025.

The new crossover event will debut in early October 2025 and will feature elements from the Monster Hunter Series, like Palicos, while beloved mounts and creatures like Chocobos and Cactuars will make their way into Monster Hunter Wilds.

Yoshida detailed the origins of their ongoing partnership with the Monster Hunter Wilds team. He described their long-standing relationship between the two teams, dating back to the PSP era with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, also known as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. He reflected on their relationship, stating:

“Actually, the Final Fantasy 14 development team and Monster Hunter team at Capcom have a very long-rooted history and a very long connection. It goes back to the days of the PSP, when Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G was released. At that time, I talked with the producer and director, and we used to talk a lot, just about how things were in the games industry.”

This bond between the two developers led to chatter over drinks at the previous Gamescom annual trade event over a couple of drinks, ultimately solidifying plans for the crossover. Yoshida further commented, “And so, really, all of the planning for this crossover collaboration started just one year ago at Gamescom last year.”

The crossover will stay true to the lore of Final Fantasy XIV through its interdimensional rift mechanic, connecting both worlds. Yoshida mentioned, “This time too, for our crossover, we have been working on addressing each of the reasons why the Palico comes into the world of Final Fantasy 14, and also the elements you saw in the trailer, why they are presenting themselves in Final Fantasy 14, and how that connects with the story.”

Yoshida also discussed the broader gaming industry and community relations amid reports of harassment, notably directed toward the developers of Monster Hunter Wilds over optimization issues. Yoshida expressed that at the end of the day, developers are people and that the gaming community and development teams should reach a mutual understanding to foster a positive future for the gaming industry.