Square Enix was created in 2003 through the merger of Square (Final Fantasy) and Enix (Dragon Quest), combining two of Japan’s most important RPG publishers under one roof. The company is headquartered in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district and has become one of the most recognizable names in Japanese gaming.
Final Fantasy is the company’s flagship, with the franchise spanning over 100 million copies sold since the first game launched in 1987. Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) and its sequel Rebirth (2024) represent one of the most ambitious remake projects in gaming, reconstructing a beloved PS1 classic into a multi-part modern RPG. Final Fantasy XVI took the series in an action-oriented direction with mixed commercial results.
Dragon Quest remains a cultural institution in Japan, where new releases still cause lines around the block. Dragon Quest XI (2017) successfully brought the series to a wider global audience. Kingdom Hearts, the Disney-crossover action RPG series developed with Disney, has sold over 36 million copies.
Square Enix sold its Western studios (Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal) along with franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief to the Embracer Group for $300 million in 2022. The move signaled a strategic refocus on Japanese development and, controversially, blockchain gaming.
The company’s relationship with blockchain and NFTs has drawn criticism from players and industry observers. Despite initial enthusiasm from management, the blockchain gaming push has produced few tangible results. More recently, Square Enix has pulled back on those ambitions and refocused on its core franchises and multiplatform releases.
