The Sonic the Hedgehog series is one of the most well-loved and most well-known franchises in all of gaming. It's why Yuji Naka, the former lead programmer on Sonic and the former head of developer Sonic Team, is one of the most highly respected people in the industry. It's also why so many fans are excited about the famed developer's new gig.

In a tweet published to his official Twitter account earlier today, Yuji Naka confirmed that he has joined Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix. His work at the company began this month and once again will involve game development. Naka "[strives] to develop games at Square Enix," explains the tweet, and the developer also adds that "I aim to develop an enjoyable game." The developer also tells fans to "look forward to it."

At this point, it's not yet known exactly what Naka is working on. Though, by the language in the tweet, it sounds as though Naka will be developing an all-new game rather than something that has already been announced. At this point, it's too soon to know whether that project is a brand new IP or if it is a new game in an existing Square Enix franchise.

Naka is known for his work on a wide range of iconic games across many genres. In addition to Sonic the Hedgehog, Naka has also worked on music rhythm game Samba de Amigo, MMORPG Phantasy Star Online, and puzzle series Puyo Puyo.

With Naka's own development team (Prope, which was founded in 2006), the developer has worked on fishing sim Fishing Resort, action adventure game Rodea the Sky Soldier, and tap-based mini-game title Let's Tap. Naka's work at Square Enix could potentially be in any genre and draw upon any of the experiences from his 35-year-long career.

Fans of Square Enix's games have a lot to be excited about right now. The publisher seems to be pushing the boat out, offering all sorts of new experiences and working with some of the biggest names in the games industry. For example, 2017 saw the huge success of Nier: Automata, despite many having previously thought that the Nier franchise was dead.

Additionally, Square Enix is also preparing a multi-game project based on Marvel's The Avengers superheroes and it is rumored to have enlisted a former Uncharted developer to help out. On top of this, a new Tomb Raider game has been teased, the Secret of Mana remake is right around the corner, and Kingdom Hearts 3 is scheduled for this year as well. The publisher is hitting all of the right notes with fans and the hiring of Yuji Naka is being seen as yet another smart move by the company.