Square Enix is revamping its PlayStation-centric approach and planning to commit fully to multiplatform releases for its major titles following poor sales in FY23-24.
In its Q4 2024 financial reports, the Japanese developer-publisher said it’d “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs.” This is to “build an environment where more customers can enjoy” Square Enix titles.
In the last year, Square Enix had several high-profile game launches, including two titles from its flagship series—Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth—which had exclusive launches on Sony’s PlayStation 5. Despite their critical success, the games failed to generate large enough sales. This comes to light in Square Enix’s reported profits of 14.9 billion Yen compared to its estimated profits of 38.5 billion Yen. While the publisher didn’t outright admit the plummet in profit is due to its PS5-exclusive launches, its multiplatform pivot now leads us to believe that was the case.
Announced as a mid-term business plan till March 2027, the multiplatform strategy could potentially help Square Enix recover some lost ground.
Final Fantasy 16, as reported earlier, is headed to PC sometime before the end of this year. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, on the other hand, is a timed exclusive on PS5, reportedly until May 2024. If we had to guess based on Square’s cadence of launches, we expect FF7 Rebirth to launch on other platforms in 2025.
As for future Final Fantasy titles, it seems Square Enix will have simultaneous launches on most platforms to maximize sales. The same holds true for Kingdom Hearts 4 and Dragon Quest 12—the two other upcoming high-profile Square Enix titles.
Published: May 13, 2024 03:59 am