One of Square Enix’s renowned producers and hypemen is taking a step back from the company.

After 27 years of being in Square Enix, longtime producer Shinji Hashimoto will be retiring from the company. The Twitter announcement he made mentions that he is grateful to Square Enix for letting him take on multiple roles from animator back in the mid-90s to producer in the last few generation of consoles.

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— shinji hashimoto (@shinjihashimot3) May 31, 2022

Shinji Hashimoto started off as an animator for the company, but went on to being the promotions producer for Final Fantasy VII. He also was one of the key folks who got the Kingdom Hearts franchise started, with him conversing with a Disney executive about the idea of the now-famous crossover. His producer credit is huge, ranging from titles such as the original Front Mission in 1995 to the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake and Neo: The World Ends With You. He would also be the face of the company, attending conventions like The Philippines ESGS and talking to the media while his team is hard at work.

Whether I’m covering Final Fantasy titles at Square Enix’s office in Japan or checking out the junket for Left Alive, he’s usually there and always happy to take a media photo or two. Like how Marvel needs a Stan Lee, Square Enix needs a Shinji Hashimoto. Thanks for your enthusiasm and hype-generating, good sir. We’re not sure who will take up that mantle now, though. Not every producer or director is as media-fluent as Naoki Yoshida, when you think about it.