With Final Fantasy 16 just a few weeks away now, Square Enix is committing itself to releasing more and higher quality big games.
In its latest financial briefing (opens in new tab), Square Enix revealed a “medium/long-term reshuffle” in which it would focus on games with “global appeal,” “create a pipeline enabling regular launches of major titles,” and “revisit [the] total development process to bolster quality.”
In a message to investors, Square Enix said it’s been working to “stabilize earnings” by expanding subscriptions to its MMOs, including Final Fantasy 14 and Dragon Quest 10, and mobile/browser-based games. However, the studio said the income from those kinds of games will “enable continued investment in content with a focus on the development of HD games,” which is how Square Enix refers to its highest quality console and PC games.
For reference, some of the games Square Enix considers “HD” include PowerWash Simulator, Dragon Quest Treasures, Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, and Octopath Traveler 2, so it’s not as if they’re all on the same scale as, say, Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, part two of the four-part remake of Final Fantasy 7, launches on PS5 in 2023, and Kingdom Hearts 4 is officially in development. It’s unclear what other major games the company has in its pipeline, but we know the company hasn’t given up on blockchain yet.
Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 22 exclusively on PS5, with no immediate plans to port it over to other platforms. Square Enix has a six-month exclusivity deal going with Sony, so it’s very possible it will launch on Xbox and PC at a later date, but that’s as yet unconfirmed.
For everything else on the horizon, check out our comprehensive guides to upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games.