The ongoing downfall of Square Enix feels entirely justified. It’s difficult to argue that there’s a more deserving company for such a fate.
Over the past decade, Square Enix has consistently alienated its loyal fanbase. They’ve fractured the Final Fantasy series fanbase with action-oriented releases and adopted Western ESG policies, leading to censorship in their titles, whether they’re they were remasters or entirely new creations.
Their recent endeavors, such as the temporary PlayStation exclusivity for Final Fantasy XVI, didn’t replicate the success of previous action-based installments, nor did it resonate with the inclusion of the series’ first gay romance.
After taking far longer to achieve a sales milestone compared to Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix has been rather silent about the games total sales figures which haven’t been updated since the games launch week.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, despite the hype surrounding safe horny swimsuits, the game saw lower sales figures than the underperforming FF16, with Japanese sales plummeting by 90% after just one week.
I can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection between the dismal sales and Square Enix’s decision to retroactively censor Tifa’s cowboy costume design in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, a move made weeks prior to the release of Rebirth, which also features additional censorship.
This further highlights Square Enix’s reliance on an “ethics department” for their games.
Additionally, Square Enix’s failures extend beyond their Final Fantasy golden goose. They’ve terminated numerous mobile gacha games throughout last year and their live service Splatoon clone, “Foamstars,” experienced a staggering 95% player base loss within just two months of release.
Square Enix is teetering on the brink of collapse if they persist with their current path. However, they’ve shown no signs of course correction, openly declaring that the future of Final Fantasy lies with action rather than turn-based combat.
The company seems fully committed to embracing Blackrock’s ESG agenda, evident in their relentless censorship of problematic femininity.
Square Enix’s financial situation is dire, which is unsurprising given their track record of producing woke, lackluster slop like Forspoken. A release regarding Square Enix’s holdings discloses losses of 22.1 billion Yen, roughly $140.8 million USD, for the fiscal year ending in March.
Take a moment to absorb the impact of a $140 million loss. It’s staggering to witness how rapidly Square Enix has faded from relevance, coinciding with the establishment of their ethics department. Their attempt to appeal to a “modern audience” with action RPG versions of cult classics has failed to recapture their former glory.
In fact, some will argue that Square hasn’t produced anything of actual worth following their merger with Enix. I’m incline to agree considering how the only thing keeping them afloat at the moment is the Final Fantasy 14 MMO.
Square Enix is in total damage control, with the company now set to “be more selective and focused” when it comes to game development moving forward,
The “content abandonment losses” represent Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu’s strategy to streamline the company’s game output. Kiryu aims to be more discerning and concentrated in the allocation of development resources.
Due to these significant losses, Square Enix has decided to cancel several projects that were in development. While the specific titles have not been disclosed, these cancellations are expected to result in Square Enix incurring $140 million in “content abandonment losses” for the fiscal year.
Square Enix, similar to Bandai Namco, openly states its focus on creating more “bigger budget” titles of “higher quality.” However, recent failures like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Final Fantasy XVI, and 2023’s Forspoken, developed in collaboration with Sweet Baby Inc, have demonstrated otherwise.
Forspoken’s catastrophic failure led Square Enix to terminate its developers, Luminous Productions.
Square Enix is hopeful about steering their ship in a new direction, but the reality is they’ve been churning out big-budget failures. Moreover, they recently sold off their western development studios and franchises like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex to the Embracer Group for an embarrassing sum of $300 million.
Square Enix finds itself in dire financial straits, and they have no one to blame but themselves. Their games, marred by censorship and diluted content, betray the trust of true fans of Final Fantasy and other iconic franchises under their control.
The company’s practice of axing failed mobile games mere years after launch has irreparably damaged their reputation among mobile gamers. Moreover, their recent controversy involving the retroactive censorship of Final Fantasy VII Remake, following the viral buzz around swimsuits in Rebirth, only adds fuel to the fire.
Square Enix’s assertions of prioritizing “quality” ring hollow as they continue to undermine themselves. Once revered as a Japanese legend, they’ve regrettably become little more than a pawn for promoting the Western agenda.
Everything Square Enix produces as of late, even from their most iconic franchise has been rubbish. Their refusal to course correct and dismantle their ethics department, coupled with their ongoing censorship of games, ensures that their future productions will also be garbage.
They have brought this fate upon themselves, their pleas to stockholders should be severed as a warning to abandon ship rather than to remain hopeful, this company is bound to crash and burn and will likely be bought outright soon enough.
