Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster took the developers 5 years to create a faithful remaster of the original games. Read to learn more about how the developers handled the game’s production and the future of the Suikoden franchise.
Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster’s Development Time Was Longer Than Expected
Developers Wanted To Honor The Originals
Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster took 5 years as developers committed to creating a top-notch remaster that is faithful to the originals. During a recent interview with Dengeki Online on March 4, 2025, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (Suikoden 1 and 2 HDR) developers explained the whole process of making a high-quality remaster for the series.
The game was first announced in 2022 and was originally slated for release in 2023, but it was postponed and will now release this year. Suikoden Gensho series IP and Game Director Takahiro Sakiyama revealed that during the end of development, as the team continued to debug, they realized that they needed to review it, hence postponing the original release date.
Suikoden 1 and 2 HDR Game Director Tatsuya Ogushi added, "Rather than being bold, we started by grasping the situation. After confirming and discussing with Sakiyama, including the quality line, it became clear that there were many areas that needed to be worked on, and that we needed to deal with them firmly."
Reviving the Series
Working on the remaster was not just a one-off project but the first step in reviving the Suikoden franchise. Suikoden series Producer Rui Naito shared their primary vision for the franchise and possibly doing more work in the future.
Naito conveyed this vision to the game’s production staff, "The most important thing was that this was the first step in reviving the Suikoden IP, so we needed to make sure we didn't stumble here. So, ‘make it solid’ is the basic order." He added, "In the case of Suikoden I&II HDR, I told Sakiyama and his colleagues to ‘make something solid’ because if we put out a half-baked work at the starting point that will be the flow of reviving the series, it will end here."
Gensou Suikoden Live Revealed New Anime, Mobile Game, and More
The recent Gensou Suikoden Live on March 4, 2025 revealed upcoming projects that Konami has for Suikoden. Naito considered the live as the second step in reviving the IP but was unsure how many steps they would need to take to bring back the franchise.
He noted, "For this reason, we have been reworking Suikoden I & II HDR and pursuing a strong commitment to the upcoming mobile Suikoden STAR LEAP and Suikoden II anime." Naito stated, "After we have been able to deliver this accumulation well, I think we will be able to think about what to do next."
Meanwhile, Konami announced Suikoden: The Anime, an anime adaptation based on the story and events of Suikoden 2. This will be produced by Konami Animation, which will be a first for the team. Furthermore, there will be an upcoming mobile game titled “Genso Suikoden: STAR LEAP”. Both the mobile game and anime series have revealed their teaser trailers, but there are no official announcements regarding their release dates.
There are more projects and events in the works surrounding the Suikoden franchise as Konami looks to bring back the beloved IP in the limelight.
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars is set to be released on March 6, 2025 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information on Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, check out our article below!
Source:
Suikoden Developers Interview Dengeki Online
Suikoden Live Broadcast
