Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, praised an AI-generated trailer for a hypothetical Final Fantasy 6 remake posted on May 16. The video featured current-generation style graphics depicting iconic scenes such as the opera, Terra's Esper transformation, and Sabin suplexing a train [1, 2, 3]. Sakaguchi expressed surprise and excitement on May 17, tweeting, "What is this?! It's amazing!" [2].

The AI video drew criticism from some fans and commentators who raised concerns about copyright, unnatural character movements, and a "deadened" aesthetic typical of AI-generated content [1, 2, 3]. Akitoshi Kawazu, creator of SaGa and one of the original Final Fantasy battle designers, responded to Sakaguchi's praise by urging restraint, telling him on May 17 to "please stop at the first line," implying Sakaguchi should have limited his reaction to initial surprise without endorsing the AI video [1, 4]. Kawazu also said he believes Final Fantasy 6 is a good candidate for a full 3D remake [1, 4].

On May 18, Sakaguchi addressed the backlash with humor and clarification, writing, "Whoa! What a wild reaction lol. It's not gonna work as-is, but it feels like there might be some intriguing stuff waiting down the line. That's the vibe." He emphasized that while current AI content is not ready for direct use, he sees potential for AI in future game development [5, 2, 4, 6]. On the same day, he also shared AI-altered concept art from his RPG Lost Odyssey, continuing his engagement with AI-generated content [5, 2, 6].

Sakaguchi left Square Enix in 2003 and now leads the independent studio Mistwalker, known for titles like Lost Odyssey and Fantasian [5, 2]. Within Square Enix and affiliated studios, there has been ongoing interest in remaking Final Fantasy 6, with producer Masaaki Hayasaka reportedly favoring an HD-2D style remake [1].

The AI remake teaser was originally posted by user desusanJP on X on May 16, sparking wide attention within the gaming community for its modernized visuals of classic Final Fantasy 6 moments [3]. The discussion around AI's role in game art continues as creators and fans debate its future.

No official remake was announced, but the conversation around AI-generated content and remakes is ongoing.