FF4 skip lets JRPG beat Dragon Quest

In the high-stakes world of JRPG history, some developers are suggesting that a pivotal decision by Square Enix wasn’t just about game development—it was a strategic masterstroke. Leading figures in the Final Fantasy series claim that the company seriously considered skipping the game that became Final Fantasy 4 to accelerate directly into Final Fantasy 5.

This bold thought experiment is rooted in the intense competition between the sprawling JRPG franchises and the enduring legacy of Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest, with its long and celebrated run, held a unique position as Square Enix’s longest-running series. The developers looked to this established benchmark for inspiration.

Yoshinori Kitase, one of the leaders in the franchise, noted that there was an internal discussion about using unconventional numbering to gain an advantage. They pointed out that if the team had jumped straight to Final Fantasy 5, it might have allowed them to launch their new entry before Dragon Quest, potentially positioning themselves ahead in the crowded market.

The reasoning was simple: while waiting for the natural progression felt like constantly chasing another title, launching a new installment sooner could have been a way to pull ahead. One executive reportedly suggested skipping Final Fantasy 4 entirely to move directly to FF5 to beat Dragon Quest’s timeline. It is this kind of strategic thinking that often defines great creative leaps.

This unconventional approach wasn’t isolated to the numbering scheme. The series already navigated confusing shifts in naming, such as how Final Fantasy 4 was labelled in North America, further illustrating a period where game promotion and development were rapidly changing.

Despite the confusion surrounding the sequence, there is an acknowledgment that this decision ultimately played a role in shaping the franchise’s trajectory. As technology evolved and marketing strategies shifted, developers often found new ways to innovate their releases.

The shift highlights how game development itself was transforming; the way games were promoted was changing just as much as they were being made. Whether this specific maneuver is celebrated as a brilliant move or a clever piece of historical trivia, it certainly stands out as an innovative moment in the history of Japanese role-playing games.