The talented Square Enix character designer, Akihiko Yoshida, has left the company. His actual farewell has been confirmed within the art booklet that came with the latest project he worked on, Bravely Default: For the Sequel.

Yoshida is known for his works in lots of excellent Square titles since he joined the company back in 1995. The games he worked on are the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, and more recently Bravely Default and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

Our friends at Siliconera posted a scan of the actual message itself:

Translated, it says:

“This is a personal message of mine, but I’d like to say thank you for all the support these past 18 years. I have decided to leave Square Enix, but I believe our relationship will continue going on. And as long as I’m needed [laughs,] I will continue working on the Bravely Default series. Thank you for your continued support.

Bravely Default main character designer & lead artist,

Akihiko Yoshida.”

It is not yet confirmed if Yoshida is working on Bravely Default’s sequel, Bravely Second. We wish him all the best, but it seems like he’ll continue to work at Square as an independent contractor.