At the PAX West 2025 panel, game director Kazutoyo Maehiro revealed how the original Final Fantasy Tactics code was overwritten during localization for the global market.
"We took the data from the Japanese version and wrote the English version on top of it. If another localization was needed, we simply layered it on top and continued to overwrite it."
When the source code ceased to be what it was, the developers had to disassemble versions and search for original fragments. They studied archives and visited fan sites.
"We went on a kind of journey to find the original. We used all available resources, analyzed different versions, and looked for what we considered the original. We even had to browse fan sites, because they do an excellent job of keeping the data up to date."
Although they could have used the code from the PSP port of Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, the lack of involvement in the port and the mismatch of additional content to player expectations led to the decision to port the original from PlayStation. The remaster code combines the found fragments of the original and additions derived by the developers through game practice.
The main advantage of The Ivalice Chronicles is an improved version with graphics and voice acting. The package also includes a classic version with original graphics and gameplay, improvements, autosaving, and bug fixes, using translations from the PSP port.
The release of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is scheduled for September 30, 2025 on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X❘S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
