FF7 Revelation Director Has Solution For RPG Streamer 'Crisis'

Role-playing games have a growing problem with streaming, but Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Naoki Hamaguchi has a solution: player choice. While its solution comes with a caveat of scale, that doesn't mean it's only a big-budget RPG in spirit Final Fantasy 7 Revelation can adopt.

Game streaming has been a part of mainstream gaming culture for over 15 years, with its growth spurred by the launch of Twitch in 2011. The sector's potential was validated not long after when Amazon paid nearly $1 billion to acquire the platform in 2014. Over time, the simple idea of being able to watch others play games live evolved into an entertainment format in itself. The games that have made it big on Twitch or YouTube in the process have generally proven to have a huge level of staying power. As of 2026, streaming is mature enough to shape the industry that first shaped it, for better or for worse.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation confirms cut content

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi says that one particular part from the original game was cut from the upcoming title.

FF7 Revelation's answer to streaming RPGs is Player Agency

Long-standing Final Fantasy Director Naoki Hamaguchi acknowledged this shift in a recent interview with 4Gamer in mid-June 2026. He said that modern RPGs must avoid becoming experiences that viewers feel they've fully absorbed just by watching someone else play, which is a legitimate risk these days. His proposed answer is for RPGs to involve greater player agency. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will strive to do so, with the finale of the remake trilogy emphasizing choices that can affect the order of progression and the structure of the narrative. The game will still have one ending to stay true to the original, but the way to get there should be quite personalized.

Agency for big players in RPG is not an easy task

The main challenge of Hamaguchi's “fix” is that it depends on a meaningful choice, not just its appearance. A few low-impact challenges might not be enough to make viewers feel like they need their own game, while branching content, optional scenes, distinct character moments, and flexible progression can make the same game feel personal from one player to another. This design can require large budgets, sharp project management, or both, making Hamaguchi's solution simple in theory but difficult to implement on a large scale. Of course, it's still possible without a AAA budget, as he underlines Deus Ex 25 years ago she gave a masterclass in player agency with an estimated budget of several million dollars. Still, this cult classic proved difficult to copy, especially as it kept up with gamers' ever-increasing expectations for graphical fidelity.

The Final Fantasy director isn't bitter about people watching Twitch Streamers instead of playing

While game streamers compete with the very games that make their careers possible, Hamaguchi isn't necessarily bitter about this modern form of entertainment. Instead, he says he sees the uniquely modern challenge a platform like Twitch presents to single-player RPGs as an opportunity to further hone his craft and deliver games that can still attract mass player interest in the streamer era.

What kind of weapon is that?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

What kind of weapon is that?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

Looking at the bigger picture, Hamaguchi, a JRPG veteran, advocates a design philosophy more often associated with Western RPGs. JRPGs traditionally emphasize authored stories, defined protagonists, and carefully managed character arcs. Western RPGs are more often associated with customization, branching outcomes, and player-driven identity. Even within Square Enix's flagship series, Final Fantasy games where decisions matter usually stand out because choice hasn't always been the main draw of the franchise. However, years of cross-pollination between the many RPG subgenres have eroded the traditional divide between Western and Eastern design sensibilities, although it remains to be seen where this trend is headed.

Source: Automaton West