Beloved Final Fantasy XIV director and producer, Naoki Yoshida, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Brasil Game Show. Best known among the Final Fantasy community as Yoshi-P, this honor acknowledges his incredible contributions to the gaming industry and the RPG genre.
Looking at Yoshida’s resume of accomplishments, it’s easy to see why he’d be a shoo-in for an award whose past winners include industry legends like Hideo Kojima and God of War’s Cory Barlog. The story of how Yoshida transformed Final Fantasy XIV from instant disaster to one of Square Enix’s most successful and profitable games is well-documented. It’s an industry parable. Proof that, with the right leadership and a willingness to heed player feedback, any game can rebound after a catastrophic launch.
Final Fantasy XIV (Legacy) suffered from a litany of issues following its 2010 launch that ranged from an exhausting leveling system to nonoptimal design choices. Assigned the director role in a last-ditch effort to save the new MMO from complete failure, Yoshida started from scratch as he listened to player feedback throughout the rebuilding process. After just two years, the flailing Final Fantasy XIV (Legacy) became Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and it’s been the “critically acclaimed MMORPG” that it is a decade later.
Flash forward to 2023, and Yoshida’s work on Final Fantasy XVI only cements his industry godhood. As producer of the latest main title game, Final Fantasy XVI has been praised by both critics and players and sits strongly at a Metacritic score of 87. The latest Final Fantasy installment also managed to accomplish something that seems simple but feels rare nowadays: The game launched on time.
No matter what the project is, Yoshida has and always will stand with Final Fantasy fans. He listens to players. He communicates with players. He even plays with players as his Lalafell avatar is often spotted adventuring in and around Final Fantasy XIV’s world. Player advocacy is the common thread that’s brought him success, this deserved Lifetime Achievement Award, and the admiration of Final Fantasy fans all over the world.