Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi praises AI-generated FF6 remake teaser, is promptly told “please stop” by SaGa’s Akitoshi Kawazu
Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi praised an AI-generated teaser video depicting a hypothetical remake of Final Fantasy VI, sparking immediate controversy across gaming communities. After viewing the fan-created concept video, Sakaguchi posted “What is this?! It’s awesome” (translated from Japanese) on X, publicly expressing enthusiasm for the AI-generated content.
However, the teaser exhibits typical generative AI artifacts and quality issues that become apparent upon close inspection. The video features character models with warped and inconsistent faces, Terra appearing disproportionately large compared to other characters, unnatural underwater-like movement animations, and backgrounds filled with visual inconsistencies and nondescript patterns. Clothing details are similarly muddled with incoherent designs and character faces that lack any semblance of emotional depth or detail.
Sakaguchi’s endorsement immediately divided the online gaming community. Some fans expressed disappointment that a respected industry legend would publicly praise obvious AI-generated content, while others engaged more pragmatically with the video as a conceptual exploration of what a Final Fantasy VI remake could explore. The reaction highlighted broader tensions within gaming culture regarding generative AI’s role in creative industries.
The incident gained additional attention when SaGa series creator Akitoshi Kawazu notably responded to Sakaguchi’s enthusiasm with a direct request to discontinue such public endorsements of AI-generated media. His response underscored concerns within the developer community about legitimizing AI-generated content as a creative or professional tool.