Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director was so excited to see The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards that he almost jumped out of his seat  

It’s always nice when developers get excited about games that are not their own, as it shows their love for the medium on a personal level. This recently happened to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi, whose excitement for The Witcher 4 almost made him get out of his seat during the 2024 Game Awards. 

During a recent Reddit AMA held by Hamaguchi and Final Fantasy VII producer Yoshinori Kitase, Kitase let slip that Hamaguchi nearly stood up during the premiere of The Witcher 4’s cinematic reveal trailer. More specifically, Hamaguchi was excited when the hooded figure turned out to be Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, better known as Ciri. After the first three Witcher games featured Geralt of Rivia as the main character, the trailer for the Witcher 4 confirmed fan theories that his adopted daughter would be the protagonist this time around.   

Hamaguchi is a big fan of The Witcher games; going so far as to mention The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as one of his favorites. Kitase’s favorite games are closer to home, as he loves The Legend of Zelda titles predominantly created by Nintendo. 

This isn’t the first time Final Fantasy developers have mentioned The Witcher series, especially the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as one of their big influences. Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in his Steam Library, and Hamaguchi has often talked about the CD Projekt Red title being a core influence on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s development. 

Hamaguchi’s dreams must have been realized when the fourth mainline entry in The Witcher franchise was confirmed. Now that he isn’t at The Game Awards, he is free to jump out of his seat at any mention of the upcoming game. 

The Witcher 4 is currently in development, release date and platforms TBA.