Ex-Final Fantasy Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto Retires from Square Enix

Final Fantasy franchise Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto is checking out. The longtime Square Enix executive announced his retirement from the company after nearly twenty-seven years working there on his personal Twitter account. His last day at work was May 31, 2022.

皆様、お疲れ様です。本日5月31日（火）をもちまして定年退職することになりました。在職中は多方面の皆々様方々には大変お世話になりました。これからは、一スクエニファンとして応援させて頂きたいと思います。本当にありがとうございました。 pic.twitter.com/yIj89uvh8x

— shinji hashimoto (@shinjihashimot3) May 31, 2022

Shinji Hashimoto’s farewell message was brief and simple. He thanked all the people who supported him during his tenure at the company. He also said that from now on, he’ll be supporting Square Enix as a fan.

There is also a video with an English translation.

Shinji Hashimoto retires from Square Enix today and we're very lucky to have received a video message from him.

Thank you for everything, @shinjihashimot3! pic.twitter.com/LHowKYfgqX

— Square Enix (@SquareEnix) May 31, 2022

Shinji Hashimoto joined Square Enix in 1995, following a stint with Bandai Namco. Back then, though, the companies he worked for were just known as “Square” (or “Squaresoft”) and “Bandai”. Their respective mergers with Namco and Enix wouldn’t happen until 2003 and 2006.

Hashimoto began his work at the company in the role of Producer. He helped create the original Front Mission strategy game for the SNES/Super Famicom. He also supervised Front Mission sequels like Front Mission 2 and Front Mission 4.

One of Square and Square Enix’s most prolific creators, Shinji Hashimoto had a hand in the company’s most beloved titles, like Chrono Trigger, Einhänder, Final Fantasy II, V, VII, IX, various Compilation of Final Fantasy titles like Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core, and The World Ends With You, among many others. He is also co-creator of Kingdom Hearts. The official story goes that Hashimoto encountered a Disney executive in an elevator one day (Square and Disney shared a building) and proposed the idea for a Disney/Square crossover game.

Hashimoto served as Brand Manager for the Final Fantasy series for more than ten years, served on Square Enix’s board of directors, and was the executive in charge of the company’s 1st Production Department (essentially the game development arm of Square Enix) until the company reorganized in 2013.

In mid-2021, Hashimoto announced that he would step back from his brand manager and executive director positions to take up a role as a corporate advisor, training future leaders of Square Enix. Though that spelled the end of his active role in development, Hashimoto continued to receive credits on various 2021 releases, including the NieR Replicant remake, Legend of Mana, and several Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster titles.