Summary
- Daisuke Honda joined Monolith Soft as a freelance cutscene director 5 months ago.
- Honda previously worked on major Square Enix titles like Final Fantasy 16, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
- While Monolith Soft may be working on another Xenoblade Chronicles game, many believe a new IP may be in the works.
Daisuke Honda, known for his work at Square Enix on games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 16, has left the company to join Monolith Soft as a freelance cutscene director. Given Honda’s past portfolio of work in the realm of RPGs, many fans are now wondering what Monolith Soft is working on, with the studio’s upcoming lineup largely a mystery.
Best known for the Xenoblade Chronicles series, Monolith Soft is currently gearing up for the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on March 20. The remaster will finally see the 2015 Wii U title made available for the Nintendo Switch and will feature updated graphics, additional story quests, a new area, and two new companion characters. As excited as longtime fans of the franchise are about this impending release, many are beginning to wonder what the Japanese studio is working on behind the scenes. A curious piece of information recently surfaced, implying that Monolith Soft is focusing on a previously mentioned mystery project.
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As seen on his LinkedIn page and pointed out by Stealth40K on Twitter, Daisuke Honda left Square Enix five months ago to pursue a career with Monolith Soft as a freelance cutscene director. In the past, Honda worked on some major titles, such as Final Fantasy 16, Visions of Mana, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The artist has also contributed to a number of films as a CG artist and designer, including 2012’s Rurouni Kenshin. While another entry in the Xenoblade Chronicles series may be in the works, Monolith Soft began hiring new staff for a ‘new RPG’ in August 2024, prompting some to wonder if a brand-new IP may be coming soon.
Daisuke Honda Joins Monolith Soft as a Freelance Cutscene Director
As fans ponder what Monolith Soft has up its sleeve, several Square Enix titles are also up in the air. Following the successful release of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake in November 2024, Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake is scheduled to be released sometime in 2025, though no concrete date has been confirmed. Dedicated fans are also eager for any news regarding Kingdom Hearts 4, with very few details revealed since the game was officially announced in April 2022.
As the Xenoblade Chronicles series has been a major boon for the Switch, it’s likely that Monolith Soft is currently working hard on new releases for the Nintendo Switch 2. More information about the successor console will be revealed during a Nintendo Direct on April 2, and eager fans may get to see more about the system’s debut titles during the show.
Monolith Soft
- Date Founded
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October 1, 1999
- Headquarters
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Tokyo, Japan
- Known For
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Xenoblade Chronicles, Baten Kaitos