Final Fantasy XV Director Hajime Tabata Leaves, Square Enix Loses $33 Million

Many thought that Final Fantasy XV was going to live forever and be a unique entity to the world; a single-player game that constantly gets updates. Some would argue that updates became mandatory since the game wasn't complete at launch but it was cool seeing this Final Fantasy game get a lot of love from Square Enix. Unfortunately, for fans of the game, director Hajime Tabata announced he was resigning from the company moments after the Livestream canceled 75% of the previously announced DLC.

One reason why the DLC was canceled is due to the amount of money Square Enix lost after the shift in direction for Luminous Productions. The studio was supposed to make "other entertainment content" according to Games Industry, but after the massive loss in money, Square Enix will start focusing on AAA games again.

Tabata was the founder of Luminous, so his resignation might have been more deliberate than we know. It's a shame really since the two major releases for Square Enix, Octopath Traveller and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, were considered good games by many players. Octopath Traveller, in particular, was a stellar old-school JRPG and is a must-have for those that have a Nintendo Switch.

Here's Tabata's statement from the stream (via The Verge):

"In regards to my next endeavors and near future, I have a project that I truly wish to solidify as my next challenge after FFXV. For that reason, I have decided to leave my current position and start my own business in order to achieve my goal. As production of Episode Ardyn continues and Luminous Productions works on new projects, I felt that it was time for me to hand over the torch to the next-generation group of talented and trustworthy colleagues and believe that they will create something amazing."

Episode Ardyn is expected to come out on March 2019. Final Fantasy XV is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Read:Square Enix Has Canceled all Future Final Fantasy XV DLC, Except for Episode Ardyn