The Kingdom Hearts team has played a significant role in designing Final Fantasy XVI's real-time combat and boss battles

While this news isn't strictly Kingdom Hearts-related, we feel that it is significant enough to discuss. Recently, several interviews with Naoki Yoshida, the producer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI, were shared via countless outlets. Of those interviews, two stand out in correlation to Kingdom Hearts.

Firstly, Washington Post's interview with Yoshida shared the following statements:

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Yoshida is confident in the direction the system is taking. He believes that Square Enix, now with titles like Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII Remake and the Kingdom Hearts series under its belt, finally has the expertise to create a compelling action combat system that players, regardless of their familiarity with the series, will enjoy.

“The Kingdom Hearts team at Square Enix has been especially helpful in contributing to those real-time combat and boss battles,” Yoshida said. “It can be said that the battles in ‘FFXVI’ are in some ways a culmination of the company’s past experiences.”

Additionally, Japanese publication Game Watch conducted an interview providing a notable Kingdom Hearts-centric response:

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Interviewer: This time, I noticed that Ryota Suzuki, who’s known for his work in Devil May Cry, was added to the team as a combat director. Did his inclusion in the team impact development?

Yoshida: It did, and a lot. With the exception of the Kingdom Hearts team, Square Enix’s teams in general, including the Creative Business Unit III…when it comes to action games, it’s not generally our forte, so it was a huge help to have Ryota-san join the team.

Thanks to our team's Ryuji for translating the aforementioned passage. 

This news is quite thrilling as Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind's boss design was phenomenal. The Limit Cut Data battles and Yozora fight are genuinely remarkable, and knowing that that talent is fueling Final Fantasy XVI can only be a stellar sign. 

What are your thoughts on Naoki Yoshida's statements?