Final Fantasy XII / XIII / XV art director, Isamu Kamikokuryo, and Star Ocean / Valkyrie Profile producer, Yoshinori Yamagishi, have left Square Enix. Both developers announced their resignations on Twitter around the same time, leaving many to wonder if it was an April Fools’ Day joke but unfortunately, it isn’t.
Kamikokuryo, who served the company for 18 years, said that he’s going to become a freelancer. Yamagishi, who has been with Square Enix for over 20 years, is currently looking to work on a new game for a different developer.
Here are their statements on Twitter (translation courtesy of Gematsu):
Yesterday, March 31, I resigned from Square Enix. It’s been a little over 18 years since I joined the company in 1999. It was a wonderful experience, from when I started with doing concept art for Final Fantasy X up until Final Fantasy XV. I am fully grateful to the company for giving me the opportunity to meet with so many people and demonstrate my talents.
I have a feeling of painful reluctance, but I would like to face drawing something new from here on. In the future, I would like to revive my writing activity while doing freelance art and diction work. To the staff and fans who supported my drawings for such a long time, thank you very much.
It’s sudden, but I’ve resigned from Square Enix as of March 31. Therefore, I’ve also retired as producer of Valkyrie Anatomia. I hope to make a new game at another company in the future, so please remember me again when that time comes. It’s an announcement on April 1 so… whether or not you believe it is up to you.
Our best wishes go out to both.
