Naoki Yoshida, the beloved director of Final Fantasy XIVHe is undoubtedly a character. Dexerto sat down with the whimsical Yoshi P to talk about his reputation in the industry, the legacy he’ll leave behind, and… even knowing where he buys his clothes.

Yoshi-P is apparently the figurehead of FFXIV. Taking the reins of A Realm Reborn, the director has turned the MMORPG into a title that fans around the world have come to love.

We were lucky enough to speak with Yoshida during his stay in Melbourne for PAX Australia 2024 and rest assured, we touched on all sorts of topics, including getting to the bottom of his iconic fashion sense.

A director among fans

Yoshi-P is more than just beloved by the community: the director is practically announced as the face of the game. And with the MMO impacting millions around the world, fans always praise Yoshida as someone who has greatly changed their lives.

Although the director never set out to become a figurehead of the MMORPG, and although he is happy that people see him in that light, the truth is that he feels more embarrassed than anything else. This is particularly true at in-person events, where fans can meet the legendary developer in person.

“Of course, I am always happy to receive the support of all our fans and players, but there are times when I will be there at physical events like the Tokyo Game Show in Japan and when I meet some fans, I just burst into tears when They knew me. And I’ll be there thinking, ‘hmm, what should I do?’” Yoshida said.

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Yoshi-P is a man of the people, but he represents more than just himself.

Despite being well known within the community, the director wanted to point out that the game only exists thanks to the hard work of the entire team.

“Our game exists thanks to our development team and also our operations teams. I’m up there and I’m the team representative. But for all the support we received as a team from all of our fans, I am truly grateful.”

A supervisor with style

As the most prominent member of the development team, Yoshida is constantly under the gaze of fans. With the director so often in the spotlight, many have noticed his immaculate sense of style, and it turns out there’s a reason he dresses so well.

“First of all, I just want to say that I’m very grateful that people think I have style,” Yoshida blushed. “But there is actually a reason for this.

“When I entered the games industry, it was just 30 years ago. At the time, I was on the game design team and we had two team supervisors. In my section, there was a supervisor who was not very fashionable, or in any case, he did not dress very well and he was not the type of person who bathed a lot.

“So he’d be there, his hair would be really greasy, and he’d be wearing all this clothing that really screams, ‘I’m a game developer!’ At that time, when you went to Akihabara in Tokyo, it was that kind of fashion that you saw and that he wore. But of course when I look at it, I think if that’s what makes him happy, that’s fine.

“But there was a time when I was representing the team and I had coverage on Famitsu, so I was basically representing the team. So I can’t get that memory out of my mind when I opened Famitsu and saw it there and had that disappointment from everyone on the team.”

In contrast, Yoshida’s other supervisor at the time was the complete opposite, offering what he called a very “soft and elegant” fashion sense.

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Yoshi-P never misses an opportunity to dress up and reflect well on his team.

Aware of his position as director of Final Fantasy XIV, Yoshida ensures that he always gives his best when representing the team.

“I am very aware of all the personal thoughts and aspirations that everyone on my team has and I am in charge of representing the team. So if I was going to represent our game and participate in an interview, I wanted to make sure I did what was best for my team as well,” the director explained.

“I didn’t want them to think ‘Oh, I wish this guy had a better fashion sense,’ so with all that in mind, that’s one of the reasons I take a lot of care in how I dress.”

However, as Yoshida grows older, he believes some members of the team might not feel the same way.

“I’m sure everyone is thinking, ‘Hey, you’re over 50 now, it’s about time you stopped wearing these flashy T-shirts,’” he admitted with a smile. “With every FanFest, I’m sure there are some people on the team who see this old guy coming out on stage dressed in this weird cosplay for the new job.”

And to some extent he tends to agree with the team, which would surely make some fans sad.

“Hey, at the end of the day, I don’t want to cosplay.”

If you ever wanted to wear a Yoshi-P cosplay, we asked where the director shopped and the developer mentioned a department store called Isetan. According to Yoshida, they will wander through the men’s department and choose what suits them best, without any particular brand in mind.

Legacy

There is no doubt that Yoshida has left a huge mark on the Final Fantasy series and its community, as evidenced by the reaction of players and the large number of changes the game has undergone. However, the director says he hasn’t given much thought to its impact on the grand plan.

“Final Fantasy has a very long history and I literally grew up with the Final Fantasy franchise. So to be able to reach this position and work on a numbered title in the franchise is something huge,” commented Yoshida. “Many people would aspire to that, but in reality they couldn’t get to that point. So, for me it’s a very important thing and I’m incredibly glad that I was able to do it.

“Of course, at this moment I am not done with my work. I’m still working on Final Fantasy XIV, and even when I die, Final Fantasy XIV will continue. So I think it doesn’t really matter that much in terms of legacy. I think the important thing is right now.”

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Yoshi-P is convinced that the FFXIV community will continue to flourish long after he is gone.

Even then, Yoshida admitted that he is not the type of person who reflects and would prefer to review his life if he had the chance.

“Of course, when I die I will return to the Ethereal Sea, and I’m the kind of person who would just want to erase my memory, restart and repeat everything.”

The director noted that no one knows what the future will bring and joked about the possibility of leaving a bad mark on history.

“You never know, there could be a big mistake and you would be leaving a bad mark on history. Maybe you know, leave me so mentally damaged that I’ll just head to the data center with a bomb! Yoshida joked playfully.

“But again, that really shows that I don’t think about it. For me, the fun is to continue working on the game and creating it with the rest of our staff, and having a good time while doing it.”