Last week, Square Enix announced changes to its management structure and published its updated list of company executives. Among other personnel changes, Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida (known by fans as Yoshi-P) seems to have been removed from Square Enix’s board of directors.
Yoshida became an executive officer at Square Enix in 2015, followed by a promotion to executive director in 2018. The official Square Enix company overview still lists Yoshida as a director at the time of writing, but their latest announcement from February 27, 2025, lists him only as an executive officer, suggesting a demotion from the position.
However, there is a fair chance that Yoshida may have stepped down of his own volition. Although he landed the promotion thanks to his huge contribution to Final Fantasy XIV’s success, he didn’t particularly like the role. In 2023, he reportedly told Dutch publication NRC that “I don’t want to be on the board, it’s much more fun to just make games.” (via Dot Esports) Apparently, Yoshida even tried to resign from the role of executive director back then, but Square Enix did not allow it. In this case, his new change in rank may actually mean he finally got his way, although it’s all conjecture at this point.
Meanwhile, Final Fantasy XIV continues to be a big earner for Square Enix, with sales of the latest Dawntrail expansion driving the company’s earnings in the ongoing fiscal year alongside Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.
