In an instantly goated moment, Final Fantasy Tactics scenario writer Yasumi Matsuno has absolutely skewered the state of capitalism in 2025 with a sharply worded message accompanying the announcement of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.
Strategy RPG fans are rightfully celebrating tonight after Square Enix officially announced the Final Fantasy Tactics remaster, but Matsuno-san is doing anything but celebrating. Instead, he’s reminding fans of the original intention behind the game and rightly pointing out that it’s just as relevant today as in 1997.
I’m sure you’ll excuse me for choosing not to paraphrase anything out of respect for Matsuno-san’s sentiment and awareness of my own comparative lack of perspective on the matter.
“Nearly 30 years ago, the collapse of Japan’s bubble economy engulfed the nation’s financial institutions in mountains of bad debt, triggering a wave of corporate bankruptcies, a sudden and extreme rise in unemployment rates, and stagnation of Japanese society as a whole,” wrote Matsuno-san. “It was an era when many were robbed of hope, when dreams were measured by their price tag.”
“Against this historical backdrop, I crafted a story. It was the story of Ramza, a young man who fought tirelessly against the entrenched social class system. It was the story of Delta, who sought to take advantage of this confusion and despair to advance his own social position. It was the story of a peculiar destiny, in which friendship and betrayal intertwine.
“And now, in 2025—a time when inequality and division are still deeply rooted in society—I offer this story once again.”
Finally, with a mic drop to make the world shake, Matsuno-san wrote: “The will to resist is in your hands.”
Now that is how you announce a freakin’ game. Other Tactics developers released much more traditional statements in the wake of the news, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I truly admire how unabashedly Matsuno-san embraced the overtly political nature of his game at a time where political division is as polarizing as ever. No fucks given, basically, and I’m here for it.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is coming to PS5 and PS4 this September with original and enhanced versions included.
Final Fantasy Tactics was originally an RTS RPG inspired by the director’s cult classic Super Nintendo game, but his boss said “NOT THIS ONE!”
