Square Enix wants to extend Final Fantasy VII for decades.

Building solid plans to keep one of the richest mythologies in video games alive and accessible for the future is an excellent long-term decision, ensuring that the universe of Midgar continues to captivate new generations with modern graphic and gameplay standards. Director Naoki Hamaguchi stated during a panel at PAX West that Square Enix aims to keep the Final Fantasy VII franchise active and relevant in the market for the next two or three decades.

In the creator's view, the brand should not be solely tied to the nostalgic appeal of its original 1997 release.

The management's intention is to handle the saga as an intellectual property in constant technical and narrative evolution, ensuring that the completion of the current project does not mean a definitive retirement for this world.

This stance signals that central figures like Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Sephiroth are expected to continue appearing in future productions from the Japanese publisher.

Despite outlining this scenario for the future, Naoki Hamaguchi avoided announcing new titles, spin-offs, or complementary adaptations at the event.

Currently, the studio's full effort remains focused on the development of the third and final part of the journey that began with Final Fantasy VII Remake and expanded in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

We will have to wait for the company's next steps to understand the formats chosen in this expansion after the delivery of the final chapter of the trilogy.

Working on preserving the legacy of such an influential work to ensure it survives through time is an exemplary stance by Square Enix. On the other hand, the company's insistence on turning a single game into an endless franchise of derivatives raises genuine concern about the creative exhaustion within the company, which seems to prefer milking Final Fantasy VII to its limits rather than investing in the creation of genuinely new and original universes for the industry.