Final Fantasy VI creator stands by AI remake praise after backlash

Hironobu Sakaguchi is not backing down. Two days after praising a fan-made AI remake video of Final Fantasy VI and sparking a wave of criticism from players and fellow developers, the series creator has responded publicly and doubled down.

"Whoa!? What a wild reaction, lol," he wrote on X on May 19. Rather than apologize, he clarified what he meant. "Well, it's like, 'I just intuitively sensed the potential' or something. It's not gonna work as-is, but it feels like there might be some intriguing stuff waiting down the line."

The original AI video, posted by @milkcho35495684 on May 17, went viral after Sakaguchi shared it with the caption, "What is this!? That's amazing!" The clip recreated iconic Final Fantasy VI sequences in realistic 3D, including Sabin suplexing the Phantom Train and the Opera House scene. It passed 600,000 views within 24 hours. Akitoshi Kawazu, creator of the SaGa series and a combat designer on the original Final Fantasy, replied directly to Sakaguchi: "No, Sakaguchi-san, please stop at the first line." Kawazu added that he does believe Final Fantasy VI genuinely deserves a 3D remake, just not through AI.

Lost Odyssey enters the conversation

After posting his clarification, Sakaguchi went further. He shared AI-generated artwork from Lost Odyssey, the Xbox 360 JRPG he directed at Mistwalker after leaving Square Enix. Posting AI art from a game he created himself rather than one he handed off to successors is a deliberate statement. It positions his enthusiasm not as a casual mistake but as a considered interest in what the technology can suggest, even if the output is not yet ready to replace human craft.

The community reaction remains split. Some fans have sided with Kawazu, arguing that praising AI-generated game content from someone of Sakaguchi's stature sends the wrong signal at a time when studios are under pressure not to replace human artists with generative tools. Others have pushed back on the criticism itself, pointing out that Sakaguchi shared a fan video and said he found it interesting, which is not the same as endorsing AI as a production tool.

Final Fantasy VI was released in 1994 and remains one of the most requested games for a remake. Square Enix has not announced one. Notebookcheck covered the original controversy when it broke, including Kawazu's full response and the community debate around the video.