One of Japan’s largest publishers – Square Enix – is looking to bring its A-game this year. Of course, one of its most notable releases prepared to ship this year is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The second installment in the three-part remake for the classic 1997 release, Final Fantasy VII. Already, a demo for the game is out now for players anticipating the full release in the coming weeks.
Additionally, the firm is also preparing its launch for Visions of Mana – a proper sequel to the beloved IP. Even more, this is the first time the series truly embraces a multiplatform release with Xbox even showcasing the game in January. Of course, Kingdom Hearts 4 is also in the pipeline at Square Enix, but, there is no settled release date on the new installment as of yet.
According to Bloomberg, however, Square Enix is considering a restructuring for its video game operation. In an excerpt from a statement by president Takashi Kiryu, he says: “We are performing a zero-base review to determine what kind of organizational structure is necessary to realize the contents of our pipeline, and which approach is best.”
There could be plenty of reasons for the firm’s decision to do so. One being the recent launch for Final Fantasy XVI back in 2023. Only on PlayStation 5, it was reported to be an underwhelming launch for the publisher’s expectations. Most notably is the net loss that was caused by the messy release from Crystal Dynamics with Marvel’s Avengers which cost the firm a reported $63 million at the time.
As noted about Visions of Mana, it is part of a greater new initiative to expand its releases on more platforms evidently. Prior it was announced that Square Enix is preparing to ship more of its titles to Xbox in an effort to bring blanket support to all platforms. You can read the full report by heading here.
What is your impression from Kiryu’s statement?