Square Enix: Last News

Square Enix’s recently sold Eidos-Montréal studio has said that the Japanese company may have sold its western developers to gear up for a Sony acquisition.Stephane D’Astous made the comment on Tuesday (July 26), after resigning from Eidos-Montréal in 2013 due to the “lack of leadership, lack of courage and the lack of communication.”D’Astous has said that he’s heard Square Enix sold off many of its western IP and studios like Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montréal and Eidos-Montréal to Embracer Group to make itself more palatable for a potential Sony acquisition (via GamesIndustry.biz).“If I read between the lines, Square Enix Japan was not as committed as we hoped initially. And there are rumours, obviously, that with all these activities of mergers and acquisitions, that Sony would really like to have Square Enix within their wheelhouse,” explained D’Astous.

Square Enix is selling a Final Fantasy 7 action figure from November 2023, and it comes with a digital NFT that carries the risk of becoming inaccessible.The Cloud Strife figure will be priced at £108 ($129.99) but fans have the chance to opt for the Digital Plus Edition at £133 ($159.99). Pre-orders for the figure are open now, though the Digital Plus Edition is exclusive to the Square Enix store.The Digital Plus edition comes with an “exchange ticket” which fans can redeem for an NFT, which is a digital version of the figure that can be “enjoyed on PC and smart phone.” The description confirms, “The digital certificate of authenticity uses blockchain technology known as NFTs”.Anyone purchasing the figure will need to create an account with NFT platform Enjin and download their Enjin Wallet app, with limited time available to redeem their digital certificate and figure.

Square Enix has provided additional details on Dragon Quest Treasures, including story, characters, mechanics and more.Today (July 18), the publisher shared a new post featuring everything fans need to know about the upcoming Dragon Quest game.The game follows siblings Erik and Mia, who head to the floating world of Draconia on a journey to recover the seven Dragonstones. They both live on a Viking longship until one day the pair stumble across two Spirit Guides, Porcus and Purrsula.

Final Fantasy 16, Naoki Yoshida, has confirmed the reason for the game’s lack of turn-based combat, saying it’s to appeal to a younger audience.Speaking to Famitsu, translated by VGC, Yoshida explained that the development team had to “reassess” the Final Fantasy audience, implying it needed to take into account the younger players.“I’m from a generation that grew up with command and turn-based RPGs,” Yoshida said. “I think I understand how interesting and immersive it can be.“On the other hand, for the past decade or so, I’ve seen quite a number of opinions saying ‘I don’t understand the attraction of selecting commands in video games’.

Xbox livestream on Twitch may have accidentally revealed that She-Hulk is the next hero joining the team on Marvel’s Avengers.The stream saw Marvel’s Avengers’ lead designer Brian Waggoner playing alongside streamer Techniq, with the pair discussing the recent inclusion of Jane Foster AKA The Mighty Thor in the game.From there, Techniq started talking about his foray into the world of acting before revealing that “my acting coach is actually the voice of She-Hulk. I won’t say her name because I don’t think that’s public knowledge yet but I think it was announced,” he says with Waggoner replying “Nope.

Square Enix has released the patch notes for update 6.18 of Final Fantasy 14 ahead of its full launch this week.The massively multiplayer online game (MMO) is currently undergoing a period of 24-hour maintenance, with patch 6.18 going live tomorrow on July 5. The patch notes from today (July 4) outline what players can expect from the patch, including a detailed rundown of how data centre transfers will work (via GamesRadar).According to the patch notes, players will need to select “visit another data centre” from the character selection screen, where they can then select the desired data centre and load into it.Those travelling to these new data centres will also be given an in-game title to let other players know that they are foreign travellers, as the title “Traveller” will appear on-screen.

Square Enix has unveiled Harvestella, a Stardew Valley-like role-playing game coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam on November 4.During the Nintendo Direct Mini today (June 28), the publisher shared the first trailer for the life simulation RPG which featured the playable character, dubbed the Traveler, on a planet where four giant crystals, known as the Seaslight, govern the seasons.“Through the changing seasons, explore an imaginative world, tend your crops, make new friends, face enemies in dynamic combat, and unravel the mystery of the season of death, Quietus,” the description reads.In a separate blog post, the publisher confirmed that players will be able to experience the four seasons while enjoying daily life, socialising and adventuring.Dungeons will also be featured in the game, where players will be able to take on monsters if they so choose. Harvestella will allow free engagement, meaning players will be able to choose what they spend their time doing.However, every 30 days the season changes and that’s when Quietus occurs – a season of death.

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida has stated that the game won’t have any American voice actors in order to avoid offending Americans themselves.In an interview with Japanese site Dengeki Online, kindly translated by @aitaikimochi, Yoshida touched upon the upcoming JRPGs medieval European setting. He believes there isn’t a game out there yet on PlayStation 5 that tells a story set in the medieval fantasy world, which is one of the reasons that Square Enix is fusing medieval Europe with its own brand of fantasy.Yoshida stated that the motion capture and voice acting are all done by Europeans.

Square Enix has announced that Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor is coming to Marvel’s Avengers next week.Sharing the news yesterday on Twitter (June 22), the publisher revealed that the Mighty Thor will be headed to the game as part of the previously announced free 2.5 update on June 28.“Jane’s Mighty Thor is an unstoppable force of nature that new players and seasoned vets alike will want to experience,” said Marvel’s Avengers art director, Jeff Adams. “We hope that you enjoy the assortment of awesome outfits created for her.”Gaze upon the glory of the Mighty Thor!Art Director Jeff Adams is here to discuss the design philosophy in some of the Mighty Thor's iconic comic-inspired Outfits.⛈️ https://t.co/cAOSAbTgJC pic.twitter.com/HPAzD4iq7r— Marvel's Avengers (@PlayAvengers) June 22, 2022As the new developer blog further explains, Jane Foster will also receive four outfits after her release.

Square Enix has announced a livestream to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy 7, which will be packed with “lots of information” regarding an unveiling.Announced today (June 10), Square Enix invited fans to “join us next week for around 10 minutes to celebrate 25 years of Final Fantasy 7.”The stream will take place on June 16 at 11PM BST / 3PM PT / 6PM ET and will be available to watch on Square Enix’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.Join us next week for around 10 minutes to celebrate 25 years of @FinalFantasy VII: https://t.co/y074ldZMhgCo-stream the broadcast and share your reactions with #FFVII25th. Please be excited.

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda shared that the money raised by selling many of its western properties last year will be used to “foster solid IP” rather than invest in NFTs and blockchain technology.Back in May, Square Enix announced a deal with Embracer Group to sell some of the company’s biggest western titles, including Tomb Raider, Deux Ex, and Thief. Several studios – including Crystal Dynamics – were also included in the sale.At the time the company shared that the sales would help invest in “blockchain, AI, and the cloud“, however, Square Enix has seemingly decided against this.In a financial results briefing, Matsuda shared that “rather than using the proceeds from the divestiture in new investment domains such as NFT and blockchain, we intend to use them primarily to fund our efforts to foster solid IP and to enhance our development capabilities in our core digital entertainment segment.”Matsuda added that Square Enix will raise funds for “new investment domains” separately from the company’s “core business” to do so, and revealed that “the Just Cause franchise will remain our IP, and we are at work developing a new title in the franchise.”Over the last year, Matsuda has been a vocal supporter of blockchain technology, despite criticism from fans.

Final Fantasy 14, has apologised for buffs made to the black mage class in a recent update.Following the introduction of new PvP area Crystalline Conflict, Square Enix released the Patch 6.11a, which included an assortment of balance adjustments.However, the update gave the black mage class some serious buffs leading to a bunch of memes, especially when it was revealed that class was Yoshida’s go to.“What should have been minor changes were released as major changes, which ultimately resulted in an overpowered black mage,” Yoshida wrote in a blog post. “By adding a heavy effect, giving Paradox multiple charges, and otherwise decreasing casting times, the black mage was granted an undeniable advantage,” which they intend to revert in a future patch released on June 7.“I would like to emphasise that the black mage is experiencing no preferential treatment by being specially mentioned here; we evaluate action balance for all jobs with a similarly scrutinising gaze,” he continued.

Crystal Dynamics will still work on the Perfect Dark reboot with The Initiative following news that the former studio will be acquired by Embracer Group.Earlier today (May 2) it was announced that Square Enix has decided to sell much of its western development arm for around £240million ($300million USD), with that including Tomb Raider and Marvel’s Avengers developer Crystal Dynamics.Since then, Xbox-owned studio The Initiative has quote tweeted Crystal Dynamics statement concerning the acquisition, confirming that the studio is still working on the upcoming Perfect Dark game.“We’re excited to see Crystal Dynamics take these next steps with their studio. Our teams have made great progress in building Perfect Dark together as co-development partners, and we will be continuing this work with them in their next chapter.”The deal is also set to include Square Enix Montréal, Eidos-Montréal and the Thief and Legacy Of Kain franchises.The upcoming Perfect Dark game appears to be undergoing development troubles, as director Dan Neuburger left the studio in February and “fast and furious” losses were reported to be taking place there as well.This news means that at present, Crystal Dynamics is supporting Marvel’s Avengers, co-developing Perfect Dark and in the early stages of a new Tomb Raider title.As confirmed in April, the next Tomb Raider game will run on Unreal Engine 5 as Crystal Dynamics wants to “push the envelope of fidelity”.“This new engine translates into next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences,” said franchise general manager Dallas Dickinson.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida has implemented a new list of rules to combat what he calls “uncooperative behaviour”.Following the launch of Final Fantasy 14’s new 5v5 player versus player (PvP) mode, Crystalline Conflict, Yoshida has reported an “unprecedented number of reports concerning uncooperative/lethargic or taunting behaviour during matches”.In a new blog post, he explained how “all PvP content, including Crystalline Conflict, is intended to be a battle/contest of skill between players. Participants must bring their best to the fight, and for this reason uncooperative or lethargic behaviour is prohibited.

Final Fantasy 14, has provided clarification on the game’s ongoing housing lottery bug.With the arrival of patch 6.1, Final Fantasy 14 introduced the new Ishgardian residential district, the Empyreum, as well as a new feature that would allow players to join a lottery system in order to obtain a house.However, on April 16, there were reports from players who were met with messages saying that there were zero winners after the lottery countdown, which led Yoshida to release a statement apologising for the bugged system (on April 16).The problem has been ongoing for a couple of days since, but today (April 18) Yoshida released a new statement via the Final Fantasy 14 Lodestone, which provided further clarification and the next steps the team will be taking.Yoshida began by apologising for his earlier statement which led to some confusion among players, adding that he should have said that “there are many patterns involved for the lottery entry conditions” as opposed to his initial statement which said that “there are many patterns involved for the lottery conditions.”“Although the development team is continuing to put their full effort into investigating and verifying the housing lottery issue, we have yet to identify the root cause, and it appears we will require additional time to do so,” he explained.The director went on to say that there are three primary issues occurring with the lottery system.

Live A Live remake was only deemed possible thanks to the success of fellow HD-2D title Octopath Traveler.In an interview with Famitsu (translated by Nintendo Everything), Takashi Tokita – director of the 1994 Japanese RPG Live A Live and its upcoming remake –  talked about how the project came to be.“I’ve pushed internally for a remake or sequel a number of times, but the circumstances never quite worked and the idea was abandoned,” said Tokita. “One of the big reasons we were able to create the remake was because we joined up with Mr.

Square Enix has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 is on the way, with a reveal trailer shown off as part of the series’ 20th anniversary.Announced today (April 10), the reveal trailer was published on Square Enix’s YouTube channel as part of other announcements around the series’ anniversary.No release date or launch platforms have been confirmed for Kingdom Hearts 4 as of publication, although the trailer can be watched below.The voiceover in the trailer begins by saying: “If this isn’t the ending you desired – if it brings you despair – then leave this world for another.”The Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer itself features a modern city setting called Quadratum, where it’s revealed that Sora has been for seven days. Sora then launches into combat with a giant Heartless enemy, with a hooded member of Organisation XIII saying: “If you do leave this world behind, don’t expect to return to the one from which you came.”The trailer then ends with a short clip of Donald and Goofy – who accompanied Sora through most of the Kingdom Hearts games – searching for Sora before an unseen figure ambushes them.

Unreal Engine 5 presentation from Epic Games, developer Crystal Dynamics announced it was starting work on the next instalment of the Tomb Raider series.Franchise general manager for Tomb Raider, Dallas Dickinson, explained that the team is proud to be a part of the launch of Unreal Engine 5, saying:“This new engine translates into next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences, and that’s why we’re thrilled to announce today that we’ve just started development of our next Tomb Raider game, powered by Unreal Engine 5.”“Our goal is to push the envelope of fidelity and to deliver the high-quality cinematic action-adventure experience that fans deserve from both Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider franchise. We can’t wait to take this journey together.”The developer was behind the most recent Marvel’s Avengers title, which got a pretty big patch at the end of March.

Square Enix has corrected a statement about Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, confirming the upcoming remaster will only have the refined soundtrack.The announcement blog post for the game, which was published on February 9, has been updated to reflect the inaccurate information. A statement at the top of the article reads:“This article originally incorrectly stated that users can switch between the original and remastered soundtracks.

Square Enix has confirmed that the next Letter From The Producer live event for Final Fantasy 14 will take place in just over a week, and teased what fans can expect from the presentation.The Letter From The Producer event will be broadcast on April 1, at 12PM, however Square Enix has noted that the starting time may change.April’s Letter From The Producer can be watched via the official Final Fantasy 14 YouTube, Twitch, or Niconico channels. On April 1, you can watch the stream through the embedded video below.In the past, the livestream has involved Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida outlining what’s next for the MMO, and the next stream looks to be no different.Square Enix has shared that the upcoming stream will cover “the latest information on what’s to come in Patch 6.1 – Newfound Adventure”.Besides Patch 6.1, the show will also cover some “miscellaneous updates” that are coming to Final Fantasy 14.Though details on what the stream will include are fairly vague, Square Enix has already shared some of what fans can expect from Patch 6.1.Patch 6.1 is set to launch in mid-April and will include more main scenario quests, sidequests, and a new dungeon.

Square Enix has acknowledged issues raised by players of Chocobo GP, and confirmed that it will investigate the problems and take action.After the racing game was released earlier this month, players shared their disappointment with the game’s ongoing issues with bugs, while some have shared their concerns about the game’s reliance on in-game microtransactions (via Eurogamer).Square Enix has now addressed players’ issues with Chocobo GP in an official statement on Twitter, which roughly translates to, “Thank you for playing Chocobo Grand Prix. We are currently receiving many inquiries, and we would like to inform you about the status of various problems and future updates.”“We are investigating the cause of each problem and taking corrective action.”Hironori Okayama, the producer on Chocobo GP, also said “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to the players due to problems with the battle function and lack of advance notice.