FINAL FANTASY XIV Director Naoki Yoshida to Deliver PAX West 2025 Storytime Keynote | The Gamerheads Podcast

Co-show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade reveal that Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida, legendary game designer and director of FINAL FANTASY XIV, will be the Storytime keynote speaker for PAX West 2025. Join Yoshi-P as he shares stories from his illustrious history creating games at the West Coast’s most attended gaming convention, taking place this Labor Day Weekend from Friday, Aug. 29, through Monday, Sept. 1, 2025.

A veteran of the Japanese gaming industry for more than three decades, Yoshi-P has been a part of Square Enix for more than 20 years, contributing to the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Fantasian franchises. His work as producer and director on FINAL FANTASY XIV, starting with 2013’s A Realm Reborn, helped shape the MMORPG into the phenomenon it is today.

Yoshi-P, alongside a special guest, will also take part in a fireside chat called “A Game Design Group Chat Featuring Seasoned Game Creators,” to discuss their experiences in game design. The panel date, time, and guest details will be revealed soon.

As part of the exciting schedule of events, some of the talent behind the characters of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will celebrate the game with a special panel on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM PT. Join panel host Ben Starr (Verso), along with voice actors Jennifer English (Maelle) and Shala Nyx (Sciel), along with motion capture actors Maxene Cazorla (Gustave and Verso), Charlotte Hoepffner (Maelle), and Estelle Darnault (Sciel).

The jam-packed schedule of guests also includes Marvel Rivals voice actors Mara Junot (Storm), Erik Braa (Moon Knight), and Jordan Reynolds (Adam Warlock). They will host meet-and-greets and sign autographs for fans all four days of the show. Check out the current schedule of panels, tournaments and events, with further updates to come in August.

“A Realm Reborn is one of the most incredible turnarounds in gaming history, and it's so cool that Yoshi-P is gonna come through,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX, Penny Arcade, and Child’s Play. “And he's only one of the cool people stopping by.”

PAX West badges are currently available for $255 for a 4-day badge, $70 for a single-day Saturday badge, $68.50 for single-day badges for Friday or Sunday, and $66 for a single-day Monday badge. BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) badges are $50. Badge prices are set to increase by $5 on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, excluding BYOC. Purchase before 11:59 PM PT to save! 

For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the PAX West website, and follow PAX on Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Twitter.