Final Fantasy veteran Tanaka leaves Square Enix

Japanese video game producer Hiromichi Tanaka, best known for his work on Final Fantasy XI, is leaving Square Enix after nearly 20 years at the company. Tanaka first joined Square in 1983, and was part of the design team on the first three Final Fantasy games. He then acted as producer on Xenogears and Chrono Cross before producing online game Final Fantasy XI. As part of the Vana Fest 2012 event over the weekend, Tanaka revealed that he is leaving Square Enix to work on his own individual video game projects, reports Famitsu (as translated by Andriasang). He also said that his health was a major factor in leaving his Square Enix role, admitting that he is currently ill -- although he did not go into specifics about his illness. Akihiko Matsui, the Square Enix director who has previously worked on Chrono Trigger, is taking over as FFXI's producer, with Tanaka commenting that Matsui is the only person capable of taking up the job. Matsui will now work simultaneously on Final Fantasy XI and XIV. (Photo credit: Famitsu)