Square Enix legend Shinji Hashimoto, the co-creator of Kingdom Hearts, has announced that he is leaving the company and stepping away from the world of video game production as a whole.
In the game development industry, there are few higher honors than becoming a household name and Shinji Hashimoto is one of the very few to reach that level of stardom.
After a career that spans three decades with the studio responsible for Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, Hashimoto has said his goodbyes to those fabled grounds.
Shinji Hashimoto retires from Square Enix after 25 years
The announcement was made via a video from the official Square Enix account starring the man himself.
In the two-minute-long address to the fans, the legendary dev explained this decision.
“Following custom practices of retirement in Japan, I will be graduating from Square Enix effective May 31,” he said.
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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
He goes on to say that he would have liked to make a few more trips to live events as an employee, but the global health situation put some roadblocks in the plan.
Before bowing out entirely he noted to all of his fans that he’ll still be pursuing other opportunities in the entertainment space, but will simply be enjoying video games as a fan from now on.
Hashimoto joined the company in 1995 and has played a major role in developing the franchise into the juggernaut it is today.
There is no word on his next venture yet, but during his time with Square he also contributed to the various Final Fantasy film projects makes him a unique talent wherever he lands.
