Do not expect a CG remake of Final Fantasy VI before the FF7 remakes are done

Final Fantasy VI is arguably one of the most loved titles in the RPG series. Even in Japan, multiple  polls have shown that FF6 has been staying in the top 5 favorite entries, duking it out with Final Fantasy X, VII, IX, and XIV. Since its initial release for SNES in 1994, Square (later Square Enix) released ports and remasters for subsequent platforms, but all of them still use pixel art. FF6 fans have been hoping to see it remade with modern computer graphics, but Yoshinori Kitase's team is having their hands full to even consider that at the moment.

Square Enix held a lengthy dialogue session with Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuko Shibuya, and Yoshinori Kitase to celebrate the Final Fantasy series' 35th anniversary and the Pixel Remaster releases. It was split into two parts; the first half was published on April 19, and the second came out more recently on June 15. The latter focused on Final Fantasy IV through VI, and this is also where the particular topic was brought up.

At the 25:14 mark, the host sent a question to Yoshinori Kitase, asking when a remake of Final Fantasy VI will come out. And the reply from the series' current brand manager was: "The [Final Fantasy] VII remake[s] are still not over yet, so I have not thought about it." However, Kitase did reveal that there are many staff members in Square Enix who are also fans of FF6. When Kitase passed over those people in the office, they would also ask him about the FF6 remake.

Hironobu Sakaguchi also chimed in on the question, noting that the team could make a massive storyline for FF6 due to it using pixel art, so it would be very hectic to remake all of those with CG. Sakaguchi added that Nobuo Uematsu also had fond memories of FF6, as it was the last entry where he had to work with a restrictive audio environment. Final Fantasy VII came out for PlayStation on CDs, and Uematsu had more freedom in choosing musical instruments for its soundtrack.

The Final Fantasy VII remake project is still far from done at this point. Square Enix split the story into three separate titles, and the first one — Final Fantasy VII Remake — came out in April 2020. Kitase and his team are currently working on the second entry, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is planned for release in early 2024. It remains to be seen how long it will take Square Enix to reach the third title and finish the entire FF7 remake project, thus freeing up resources in Kitase's team to work on a remake for FF6.

For the time being, you will have to make do with the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster, which is currently available on PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile. In the new version, Square Enix updated the title's famous opera scene with HD-2D visuals and live vocals.