Published , by Brittany Vincent
Published , by Brittany Vincent
Final Fantasy XV game director Hajime Tabata previously left Square Enix in November, and now it looks like it's already on to the next project for the prolific game director.
He's opened a new studio called JP Games, following his departure from Luminous Productions and Square Enix on October 31. Tabata took to Facebook to explain that he's looking to officially launch the company in January 2019.
"I started up my own company called JP Games, Inc," said Tabata. "Right now, we are preparing for a target January 2019 launch. And to everyone who has assisted me until today -- I kindly ask for your ongoing support."
When Tabata originally left Square Enix, he had noted he was going to begin working on a new project, but it was unclear as to what that actually was. Now, we know he's struck out on his own, though what he's working on still remains shrouded in mystery. Tabata has previously worked on several Final Fantasy titles in various capacities, including Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, and Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition.
Though we're not sure what direction Tabata is taking his talents in the future, he's known as an important cornerstone of the Final Fantasy series in general, so we're certain he'll probably come up with something new and interesting that fans will eat up – unless he totally decides to pivot completely, which is a cool move as well.
You can check out the entirety of the recent Final Fantasy XV stream above, where the news was broke, in addition to the announcement that Final Fantasy XV's additional DLC episodes would be cut as the company focused on other aspects of the game and new projects.