A. Reaching this 10-year milestone is incredible. I am grateful to everyone who has been with us. Starting with Ultima Online, many great MMORPG titles have been released in Korea. As a veteran of the genre, I have watched its history unfold. The Korean market is notoriously fierce and demanding, making it a challenging environment for a Japanese developer, which is why I am immensely proud that FF14 has sustained a decade of service here.

While our operations team has worked hard, this achievement belongs to the passion and unwavering support of our Korean players. I believe this is the longest-running Japanese online game in Korea. I look forward to reaching not just our 15th or 20th anniversaries, but many more with all of you.

A. It is not that players in regions like North America lack passion, but the demand in Korea was exceptionally high. In the US, the sheer geographic scale makes it difficult to decide on a location. Statistically, it is clear that players across Asia invest significantly more time and money into specific content or characters compared to their Western counterparts.

This translates to café visits because the 'cost'—including time, transport, meals, and merchandise—is high, and Asian players have a higher threshold for allocating these resources. It makes opening such a venue much more viable here. Japan has a strong 'Oshikatsu' culture—the act of showering love upon a favorite character—and this is beginning to spread to the West as well.

Just like other Eorzea Cafés, we operate Cafe Crystarium to introduce new menus and events with every visit, so please stay tuned.

A. The Japanese Eorzea Café is a collaboration with PASELA, something I personally pushed for. While players can meet in the world of Etheirys every day, I wanted to create a physical space where they could interact as if they were in the game. That is impossible without strong performance and a passionate community. That was the goal.

Fortunately, the Eorzea Café’s reputation is excellent, and PASELA’s understanding of the game, along with the quality of their staff and menu, has drawn Warriors of Light from all over the world. The new cafés in China and Korea are the direct result of the local operations teams hearing the community's vocal requests and fighting to make them a reality.

Unlike a temporary pop-up store, a permanent café requires a proven business case. The Korean team worked incredibly hard to demonstrate that this was viable, backed by the sheer passion of the Korean player base.

On a side note, I love Samgyetang and had some for lunch today. I eat it every time I visit. I know it might be a bit of a stretch, but I think it would be fun to have a 'Dodo Samgyetang' on the menu—though perhaps it doesn't quite fit the café theme as a standard meal.

A. We will have original menu items and merchandise. Our cafés have different themes based on the region. Japan started with the Gridania café in Akihabara, followed by the Ul'dah café in Osaka, and the rotating Limsa Lominsa theme in Yokohama. Since the Korean café will feature a unique theme, I believe that will be its biggest draw.

Often, when people propose café ideas, they suggest safe options assuming I will say 'no.' But because characters from the Ancient era are so popular in Korea, and the 'Crystarium' concept hadn't been used elsewhere, the decision was instantaneous. It is a beloved city, and I think it will garner global attention.

A. Welcome gifts include magnets featuring the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. We also have an ice cup that reveals the Crystarium tower in blue when cold liquid is poured in. Additionally, we are selling two types of mural badges featuring Hydaelyn and Zodiark. Due to limited initial stock, we are capping these at one per person.

Square Enix is currently discussing ways to expand the global sales of not just FF14 goods, but various other items. The contracts are incredibly complex, so we are looking into revising the fundamental rules to make these items more accessible. If this progresses well, fans will be able to purchase merchandise more easily in other countries; it is something we are striving for.

A. Realizing the dream of a synchronized update schedule with the global version is huge. However, I have never viewed the servers as separate entities. I see FF14 as one single community.

While the community is one, the environments differ by region—culturally, socially, and even in food and trends. Because the reality of each country is unique, our policy is to collaborate based on local preferences to help the massive FF14 community thrive in every territory.

We never use player numbers as the sole indicator for marketing or campaigns. If a region has fewer players, we look at how to expand. If a region has 50,000 players, we see room for growth and take bold steps. The local teams bring their own flair. In Japan, for example, staff might call the CEO directly or pitch ideas because they are Warriors of Light themselves.

A. In a market dominated by subscription-based games, the rarity of a fantasy-focused game that isn't P2W plays a role. We discussed this over lunch, and while I am grateful, I don't have a definitive answer. Perhaps it is simply the tireless effort of the Korean operations team.

We have an official band, The Primals. There is a song for a boss that features a 'time-stop' mechanic. Korean players came up with the idea of pausing their light sticks during that moment, and now that performance has spread globally. I am always thankful for such creative and passionate responses.

A. You cannot simply mandate a healthy community. I suspect it stems from the fact that FF14 once failed spectacularly. The players who stayed and supported us during those dark times helped one another, creating a structure where developers and users supported each other.

Secondly, we try to be as honest as possible with our players, explaining exactly why things can or cannot be done.

Furthermore, there is a difference between subscription and F2P models. Only active subscribers can post on our official forums. Players who value their subscription are less likely to act recklessly, as they don't want to risk their character, leading to more thoughtful discourse.

I’m not saying F2P is bad. It lowers the barrier to entry and brings in massive player counts, but that inevitably leads to more conflict. It is harder to keep such a community unified, which is tied to the nature of the business model.

Additionally, FF14 is a game where every player is the protagonist. The story is about helping each other and finding hope in despair. Players carry that pride. A hero wouldn't go around spitting or littering, would they? The game's narrative and design naturally cultivate a positive community.

A. Playing styles vary by region. For instance, Korean and Chinese players have a very strong tendency to customize their characters to be cool or cute. Korea has the highest consumption of Fantasia per capita. Their feedback on glamours and character customization is very distinct, and I want to hear more of it.

I also want to understand the PC-centric nature of the Korean market. I’d love to hear honest voices about their play environments and how many hours they log in per week.

I am essentially rethinking everything from zero, as if undergoing a second 'rebirth.' In that sense, I value player time immensely. In an era where people have less time, knowing when they can log in and for how long helps us tailor the game to fit their lives.

MMORPGs are inherently time-consuming and somewhat out of sync with the modern era. We don't want the game to be inaccessible to new players who have to catch up for hundreds of hours. Keeping the game enjoyable and accessible is the secret to surviving the next 10 years.

A. We are finally aligning schedules starting with Patch 7.5. Korean players have waited over a decade for this. It was only possible thanks to the community's support. The biggest challenge was the translation and voice recording schedule.

Previously, Square Enix handled Japanese, English, French, and German internally. Even the English version was released after the Japanese one until relatively recently. Because we constantly update and refine text until the last minute, attempting simultaneous releases for other languages is a huge risk.

After long efforts, the Korean operations team built a high-speed translation team that has been tested repeatedly. We’ve finally reached a point where we can adjust the source text until the last minute, translate, and record voices in time. Delaying major updates to add more languages would be counterproductive, so we worked with the Korean team to maintain the current schedule while expanding support.

However, special regional treatments, such as early access to certain outfits, will be harder to implement moving forward. As I’ve said, we view all servers as one entity now. It took a long time, but the efforts of the local team and server engineers are finally paying off.

A. I plan to experiment. We’ve started providing PowerPoint slides before the broadcast, but even that can change three days out. We don't even have a script, so predicting what I will say is impossible, even for the US or European teams. That is the nature of the show.

I think it could be good to have broadcasts with live Korean interpretation or follow-up sessions the next day. Alternatively, we could keep the main info on the Letter LIVE and have Korea-specific community broadcasts right before a patch. We will gather feedback to see what works best.

A. It’s surreal. If you search 'Naoki Yoshida' on Wikipedia, you see a photo from G-STAR 2014. It’s been 10 years since then, and 15 years since I took over the original FF14. I’ve been able to work without any major health issues thanks to your passionate support. Looking at that photo, I think, 'Wow, I’ve aged,' but inside, I don't feel much different.

A. That’s a tough one. I usually decline corporate speaking requests, but I try to accept invitations from students. I, too, was guided by many seniors and I want to pay that forward.

I always ask people who want to enter the industry: 'What exactly do you want to do?' Approaches differ by role. But for anyone wanting to work in game development, my universal advice is: 'Play as many games as you possibly can.'

Don't say, 'I like FPS, so I won't play MMORPGs' or 'I like RPGs, so I won't play PvP games.' Every genre has its fans, and there’s no guarantee you’ll end up working on your favorite genre. A professional cannot be ignorant of a genre just because they don't 'like' it.

Also, don't just leave simple feedback. Anyone can do that. You must analyze 'why' something is fun. If you want to be a designer and a boss fight feels dull, look for issues in the VFX, balance, or parameters. You don't need to study anything else but games. If you can train yourself to play and analyze games, this industry isn't as daunting as it seems.

Finally, learn English. Korea has many dedicated students with a high understanding of the language. I hope you utilize your knowledge of online games and your linguistic skills to go global.

A. There are two main reasons. First, luxury brands rarely collaborate with specific genres because it narrows their target audience. At launch, you want to expand your base, making such collabs difficult. FF14, however, has massive brand value and a track record of long-term stable service, which draws interest even from non-gaming brands.

Take our collaboration with PUMA and Isetan Department Store. PUMA’s designers used FF14 resources to create everything from scratch, and it made a huge financial impact. People wore the gear to events, and our own staff wore it to work.

Isetan is a department store with a long history in Japan, and their stamp of approval carries immense trust. When we held an exclusive pop-up, Isetan introduced us to their partners, who trusted the collaboration because Isetan guaranteed it.

The result was record-breaking sales, even higher than 'Demon Slayer,' I heard. That data caught the attention of other vendors, leading to further expansion.

Everyone involved in these collabs is a Warrior of Light; we never produce anything we wouldn't personally like. Even with the whiskey, we didn't just change the box—we did the tastings ourselves. Our mutual dedication created a virtuous cycle.

A. It's impossible. Holding five regional Fan Festivals before an expansion is too much. Our main job is developing and servicing the game, and the cost of these events is enormous. Besides, catching up on the update schedule was the priority for Korea and China. We haven't even officially announced 8.0 yet.

Of course, once we shift to global simultaneous releases, it will be possible. In the past, we announced plans when users already knew the content, but revealing content after 8.0 will be more exciting because we can tease the next updates. I don't intend to separate our communities; I see all players as one.

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