Keiji Inafune left Level-5 in 2024, forcing the Fantasy Life team to reformulate the game.

Company CEO revealed internal difficulties and drastic changes in the project

Industry veteran Keiji Inafune left Level-5 in mid-2024, in the middle of the development of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. The unexpected departure of the producer generated internal challenges that forced the team to reassess and restructure the entire project.

The behind-the-scenes of this turnaround was revealed by Akihiro Hino, CEO of Level-5, in a post on the company's official blog. According to him, the unexpected change was one of the most critical moments of production:

"In mid-2024, Fantasy Life faced an unexpected challenge. At that moment, producer Keiji Inafune left the company, and we had to reassess and reformulate the project."

Drastic changes in development

In addition to Inafune's departure, the game underwent rigorous internal evaluations, which indicated the need for significant changes. The reception of the first tests was "harsh," which led Hino to assume the role of producer directly and relocate the development core from Osaka to the company's headquarters.

"While the Osaka team was dedicated from the start, the project became a collective effort of our entire company. With developers from Fukuoka, Tokyo, and other units, we were able to significantly strengthen our development capabilities."

Total game overhaul

The change was not just structural. The game was completely overhauled, with the team adding new mechanics, including:

• Open-world exploration
• Parkour elements
• Restructuring of the progression flow system
• Improvement in core gameplay
• Enhancement of the storyline to increase emotional impact
   

According to Hino, all these changes aim to "enhance what was already amazing in the game" and ensure that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is delivered with a higher level of quality.

Delayed release, but now nearing completion

The game was originally announced in the February 2023 Nintendo Direct and was scheduled for 2023, but was ultimately delayed. A new preview was shown in February 2024, highlighting the professions that players will be able to take on in this time-travel adventure.

Now, with all the implemented changes, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is in the final stages of development and has a confirmed release date of May 21, 2025 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.