Final Fantasy and Star Wars face the same problem, says former Square Enix exec

Former Square Enix business director Jacob Navok has argued that Final Fantasy and Star Wars share a common issue: their core fans are aging while the pipeline of new, younger fans is small. He shared a Variety report that the latest Mandalorian and Grogu movie has struggled at the box office and earned some series-low ratings, and that it is failing to find audiences beyond an aging group of core fans, losing ground to cheaper new films like Backrooms and Obsession.

Navok ties that pattern to gaming, warning that franchises risk irrelevance if they don't connect with today’s youth. "If you aren't growing up with the current generation you are dead as a franchise," he wrote, arguing kids are growing up with "AI slop games on Roblox" the way previous generations grew up with YouTubers.

final fantasy, star wars, jacob navok, square enix, mandalorian, grogu, box office, core fans, younger fans, roblox