SaGa has had a long road to English. The series began on the Game Boy in 1989 and reached North America wearing a borrowed name, The Final Fantasy Legend, while its Super Famicom Romancing SaGa games stayed in Japan at the time. In recent years, one of the people bringing it overseas was Neil Broadley.
Broadley, localisation director on the SaGa franchise at Square Enix, has died after a multi-year battle with stage 4 colon cancer, according to a farewell message posted on his X account on November 6. Inven Global and GamesRadar+ report that Broadley prepared the message himself and that a colleague posted it after his death. RPG Site reports the account also carried a message from his partner. The farewell was signed Neil Broadley (1981–2026), Inven Global says.
The messages on X couldn't be checked directly, so his words appear here as Inven Global and GamesRadar+ reported them.
Work that kept going
The message describes years of treatment, and Inven Global quotes Broadley saying he "struggled very fiercely" with the illness, including repeated surgeries, three types of chemotherapy and one course of radiation treatment. It also says he kept working on SaGa and talking with fans throughout.
"My work had been very healing for me throughout the entire ordeal, and continuing on made me feel like my life had purpose," he wrote.
He was just as direct about what he wouldn't see. "I unfortunately will not be around to see the release of my next project," the message said, adding that he was "extremely confident that you will enjoy it." GamesRadar+ reports he was able to bring in a successor to carry on the series' localisation, and Inven Global says he spent recent years preparing successors so they could "continue to provide you with unforgettable SaGa moments."
Bringing SaGa overseas
Inven Global reports that Broadley's X profile listed him as a localisation director at Square Enix, naming SaGa alongside Final Fantasy XI, Mobius Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy Dimensions. RPG Site says he worked on various games at the company, including the many recent SaGa releases, and GamesRadar+ says he most recently worked on SaGa Emerald Beyond.
As an example of Square Enix's overseas push, Inven Global points to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a full remake of a 1993 non-linear RPG that launched in October 2024 with English voice acting. The same report names Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United as the franchise's next major release, launching on February 16, 2027.
Broadley described his own part in that push plainly: "It has been my pleasure and honor to help revive SaGa overseas with remasters, remakes, and new titles, bringing many new players into the fold along the way," he wrote, as quoted by Inven Global. GamesRadar+ says his efforts in localising the games have been crucial to the series' renewed attention.
The response
The official SaGa Series account said it was "deeply saddened by the passing of Neil Broadley," and offered "heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones." GamesRadar+ reports that tributes have come from the series' community, including messages left on an interview he gave Square Enix last year.
He is survived by his partner of 25 years and his dachshund, Noah, Inven Global reports. His closing note asked fans, whether or not they had played a SaGa game or agreed with his approach to localisation, to "always be kind to everyone you meet, but especially to yourself."
Reporting notes
