Square Enix has changed its management structure, and perhaps the most significant of these updates is that Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida, the popular director of "Final Fantasy 14," is no longer mentioned as a board member.
This change, which was first noticed by Automaton, could mean a turning point in the company, but what does this really mean for Yoshi-P?
Yoshida's Background With Square Enix
Despite the transition, Yoshida is still a central figure within Square Enix, maintaining his role as an executive officer and overseeing "'Final Fantasy 14's' continued development." According to The Gamer, the fact that he left the board has generated debate over whether this was an optional resignation or a planned move by the company.
Yoshida has been a key driving force of "Final Fantasy 14's" success. Following his rebranding of the formerly struggling MMO into one of the most successful online RPGs in history, he was promoted to executive officer in 2015.
In 2018, he was promoted once more to executive director, sitting on Square Enix's board of directors with other high-ranking executives.
But the most recent management update now has him as an executive officer again, implying a demotion—or a voluntary retreat from more senior executive responsibilities.
Did Yoshi-P Step Down Voluntarily?
While it may look like Yoshida has been cut from the board, there's a sense in which this would have been of his own volition. Yoshida has indeed made public pronouncements that he prefers direct work on games as opposed to administration.
Actually, Yoshida has been known to previously try and offer his resignation letter as an executive, according to Dot Esports, but Square Enix persisted in demanding he remain.
This new move indicates that the firm has at last approved Yoshida's proposal to concentrate on more creative activities than corporate strategy.
Yoshida's New Position: Suprise?
Though he is no longer on the board, Square Enix isn't allowing Yoshida to leave leadership altogether. He has been made a member of the company's newly established Executive Management Committee, which is tasked with developing and implementing Square Enix Group's medium-term business plan.
This new effort centers on:
- Placing quality over quantity
- Investing in ambitious new IPs
- Expanding game releases across platforms
This is a strategic deviation for Square Enix, which has traditionally been on the side of PlayStation-exclusive releases. With recent financial statements revealing that some of its flagship titles underperformed sales-wise, the company is now seeking to expand its base by releasing its games on more platforms, much, in the same way, Xbox has approached its recent cross-platform strategy.
Yoshida's resignation from the board may free up time for him to focus on "Final Fantasy 14" and subsequent projects, including possible expansions or new game initiatives. His retention in the Executive Management Committee, though, allows him to still have some input into Square Enix's trajectory.
This decision will be for the good of both sides—Square Enix has Yoshida's talent to himself, while Yoshida is free to concentrate on what he's best at: creating amazing games.
