Toshiyuki Itahana, a well-known Japanese artist and character designer known for his work on the Final Fantasy series and particularly for designing the characters in Final Fantasy IX, has left Square Enix after more than 30 years with the studio. He'll be moving into working as a freelance illustrator and character designer.
"As I began thinking seriously about preparing myself to continue drawing for many years to come, I decided to leave Square Enix at the end of last year," Itahana began in his goodbye message (spotted by VGC). "Last year marked a major milestone with the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, a truly significant event, and I was deeply grateful to see so many people celebrating FFIX."
"With the illustration work and supervision related to the 25th anniversary now complete, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment in having fulfilled the role entrusted to me. At the same time, I felt this was the right moment to draw a line under this chapter and take on new challenges."
"At the moment, I'm still finding my way - listening to advice and learning from senior freelance illustrators - but if you happen to come across my work somewhere, I would be truly happy if you could support me," Itahana continued. "To everyone who played the games I worked on at Square Enix, and to all those I had the pleasure of working with over the years, thank you very much. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, and I sincerely hope for your continued support in the future."
After more than 30 years with Square Enix, Itahana is undeniably correct that he has a lot to feel proud of, and can walk away with his head held high and a strong sense of accomplishment. That said, for fans of Final Fantasy IX, Itahana's departure is coming a tad too soon.
Rumours and reports have been swirling around the idea of a Final Fantasy IX Remake for quite some time now. The fact that 2025 was the 25th anniversary of the game's release only accelerated those rumors, but recent reports claim the officially unannounced remake is having some development trouble. There's even been talk that the project has been cancelled; things have gotten so bad.
Now, when Itahana refers to his work on the 25th anniversary being completed, there's a chance he's also referring to work he's done on the remake project, if it is indeed still happening. His departure could have no negative impact on the remake. But the opposite could just as easily be true, and it's impossible to know when we're still waiting for Square Enix to announce the remake in the first place.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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