According to writer and director Yasumi Matsuno, the story of Final Fantasy Tactics was inspired by working at Square, and the wider socioeconomic conditions the game was made under. In a 1999 developer interview, Matsuno explained that the themes of class conflict were influenced by Square's heavily stratified organizational work culture, where some staff members were described by him as "like royalty" due to their skills and high social capital. He doubted that newer and less experienced employees would be able to reach those same heights despite their efforts, and reflected this in the game's anti-hierarchical themes. In 2025, he stated the game's atmosphere and criticisms of capitalism were influenced by the aftermath of the 1992 Japanese asset price bubble burst. The despondency and hardships from the ongoing stagnation of Japan's economy served as a "historical backdrop" for the characters of Ramza, "who fought tirelessly against the entrenched social class system", and Delita, "who sought to take advantage of this confusion and despair to advance his own social position." Matsuno felt these themes allowed the game to still be relevant in the current year, during which he felt "inequality and division are still deeply rooted in our society."