Xenogears remake seems difficult, according to Naoki Hamaguchi
In brief
- Naoki Hamaguchi says in a Kotaku interview that a Xenogears remake would be difficult. Kotaku also notes the PS1 RPG may get harder to play.
- Hamaguchi said he has not replayed Xenogears since its original release, though he still remembers the PS1 RPG from that era.
- Kotaku notes that Xenogears is becoming harder to access on modern hardware, in part because the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts are set to close in 2027.
What happened
Kotaku published an interview on September 21, 2026, with Naoki Hamaguchi about Xenogears, Square’s PlayStation 1 RPG. In the conversation, Hamaguchi said he did not know there was a Xenogears reference in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and suggested that Toriyama-san or Nojima-san may have added it “for fun.” The article emphasizes his role as director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the connection to an older Square RPG from 1998.
Hamaguchi also said he has not replayed Xenogears since it first released, but that he still knows the game from that period. Asked about a possible remake, he said a game from that era would be difficult to remake, especially based on his experience with the Final Fantasy VII Remake series. In the source material, that comment is framed as an observation drawn from modernizing a large, older RPG franchise, rather than as an announcement of any Xenogears remake project.
Kotaku places those remarks in a broader context around Xenogears’ availability. According to the article, the game is already no longer playable on modern hardware since its digital release on PlayStation 3, and access will be further reduced in 2027 when the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts shut down. That paints a picture of a game that will become even harder for players to obtain, although the provided information does not mention any official Square re-release or shutdown statement.
Timeline
1998: Xenogears releases as a PlayStation 1 RPG from Square.
September 21, 2026: Kotaku publishes its interview with Naoki Hamaguchi about a possible Xenogears remake.
2026: In the Kotaku interview, Hamaguchi says he has not replayed Xenogears since its original release.
2026: Hamaguchi says a remake of a game from that era would be “difficult” to make, based on his experience with the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.
2027: Kotaku reports that the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts will close, further limiting Xenogears’ digital availability.
Background
Xenogears is considered a cult RPG from the PS1 era and is linked in the provided sources to Square and Square Enix. The Kotaku piece is not about an announced remake, but about Hamaguchi’s view that a modern re-release of such an old game would be technically and production-wise difficult. The source also says he has not replayed the game since its original release, though he still remembers it from that time.
The article also draws a content link to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which Kotaku says contains a Xenogears reference. Hamaguchi said he was unaware the reference was in the game, and speculated that Toriyama-san or Nojima-san may have added it as a joke. In the provided information, it is unclear whether the mention of “Revelation” is a mistaken label or another naming choice, but the context points to a Final Fantasy VII project from Square Enix and an interview conducted around Tokyo Game Show 2026.
Kotaku also ties the remake discussion to Xenogears’ digital history. The article says the game was available through a digital release on PlayStation 3, but that route is no longer usable on modern hardware. It then points to 2027 as a key year, when the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts are scheduled to close. In the provided sources, that is presented as a reason the game may become even harder to obtain, though it is not confirmed that no other legal or technical ways to play Xenogears will remain.
Additional context from FinalWeapon.net points in the same direction: Naoki Hamaguchi reportedly considers Xenogears a “tough” game to remake. That source mainly supports the broader reading that the interview was about the difficulty of a remake, not about any concrete announcement. The core of the news therefore remains Hamaguchi’s comments, the Xenogears reference in the Final Fantasy VII context, and the wider discussion about the PS1 RPG’s future accessibility.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- Final Fantasy 7 Revelation could take completionists more than 100 hours, according to Naoki Hamaguchi
- Final Fantasy VII Revelation may get automatic level boosts after TGS 2026 report
- Final Fantasy 14 brings back the Regalia Type-G as a free four-seat mount from September 24 to October 13, 2026
Sources
- Kotaku: Final Fantasy Director Says Xenogears 'Sounds Like A Tough ...
- FinalWeapon.net: Naoki Hamaguchi Thinks Xenogears Would Be A "Tough" Game to Remake