What has happened to Vana'diel? (Spoiler)

[Krotoan]

Vana'Diel exists in the same way that FF15 exists with Noctis visiting us through a 'magic portal'.

AKA an excuse to have a crossover.

Also Final Fantasy in general loves to reuse names all the time. FFXIV's Shantotto is not the same person as FFXI's Shantotto.

This ^

other games are different "dimensions", not other planets. Potentially other timelines but more likely entirely different realities. If they referred to Vana Diel as a "star" there'd be more cause to believe it was just another planet.. but IIRC it's called a "world".

[ChazNatlo]

This ^

other games are different "dimensions", not other planets. Potentially other timelines but more likely entirely different realities. If they referred to Vana Diel as a "star" there'd be more cause to believe it was just another planet.. but IIRC it's called a "world".

Yeah, they're generally all different realities, with the possible sometimes exception of X being considered a distant past on a different planet to VII, and the Ivalice entries being different times of the same world.

Though the idea that Gil (Whom is usually the same person every time, but not always (unless his vastly different characterizations in some games, like XI are him having non lineal character development)) managed to survive intact traveling between worlds casually when two vastly more powerful entities were driven to despair does entertain me.