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FFXIV Director Naoki Yoshida: Graphics Update Forges "Better Environment" For Its Artists

Victoria Rose Posted:
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Final Fantasy 14’s upcoming graphics update is one of the, if not the, most anticipated changes taking place in when Dawntrail launches this summer, if not either of the new classes or newly-playable female Hrothgar. Thankfully, it seems the feeling of relief will be mutual between both players and its developers responsible for the game’s already-beloved visuals. 

In a Play Magazine interview with director and producer Naoki Yoshida, he gets into detail about the upcoming visual overhaul, talking about it hopefully drawing in both new and old players as the game peaks over its ten-year anniversary. 

Yoshida also explains that the update is being done in no small part to ensure the sustainability and “environment” for the team behind it. He says that the current state of graphics development in FFXIV isn’t bad, per se, but more that there could be improvements for the team’s process—which he believes would be good for their “mentality.” 

“[W]hen we look at the graphics pipeline, it’s now two generations old,” he says, likely referring to the fact that FFXIV was built for the Playstation 3. In fact, when Stormblood was released in 2017, the MMORPG entirely dropped PS3 support, though this seemed more likely due to back-end engine issues rather than graphics alone as the game grew larger in scope. 

“The artists who are working on Final Fantasy XIV, I wanted to give them a better environment. By being able to work on more advanced graphics technology, they can advance their career and they can also be able to work with the newer features.” The teams behind these pipelines will also have more “efficiencies” through this tech, which Yoshida says he’s looking forward to implementing despite the hard work required. 

The interview, which was released today in English on digital platforms, also gets into a few other Dawntrail development details. Regarding the female Hrothgar design, which has divided the community, Yoshida explains that about eight proposals were brought up based on lore and male Hrothgar designs alone, and he veered towards one of the more “athletic” builds. 

The director also says that he heard the widespread feedback about players calling Endwalker Relic weapons “too easy’ and wanting them to feel more rewarding, discussing the balance between such and the “difficult” grind of the original Zodiac weapons. 

In an era in which both players and developers feel underappreciated, it’s good to peek a little behind the curtain on these matters. 


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Victoria Rose

Victoria's been writing about games for over eight years, including small former tenures with Polygon and Fanbyte. She mostly spends time in FFXIV, head-deep in roleplay campaigns or stubbornly playing Black Mage through high-end raids. Former obsessions include Dota 2 and The Secret World (also mostly roleplaying). Come visit their estate: Diabolos (Crystal DC), Goblet, Ward 4, Plot 28.