History of Square Enix in Timeline

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate involved in video game publishing, development, and other entertainment ventures. It is best known for its role-playing game franchises, including Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. Beyond video games, the company engages in merchandise sales, operates arcade facilities, and publishes manga under the Gangan Comics brand, establishing a broad presence in the entertainment industry.

September 22, 1975: Enix Foundation

On September 22, 1975, Enix was founded as Eidansha Boshu Service Center by Yasuhiro Fukushima, initially focusing on publishing games.

October 1983: Square's Start as a Division of Den-Yu-Sha

In October 1983, Square began as a computer game software division of Den-Yu-Sha, a power line construction company, founded by Masafumi Miyamoto.

September 1986: Division Spin-Off into Square Co., Ltd.

In September 1986, the computer game division of Den-Yu-Sha was spun off into an independent company led by Masafumi Miyamoto, officially named Square Co., Ltd.

1986: Release of Dragon Warrior

In 1986, Dragon Warrior, the first game in the Famicom-based RPG series, was released and sold 1.5 million copies in Japan, establishing Dragon Quest as Enix's most profitable franchise.

1987: Release of Final Fantasy

In 1987, Square relocated to Ueno, Tokyo and developed Final Fantasy, inspired by Enix's Dragon Quest. The game was a success, selling over 400,000 copies, and became Square's leading franchise.

1994: Reputation as a Producer of High-Quality RPGs

By late 1994, buoyed by the success of Final Fantasy, Square had developed a reputation as a producer of high-quality role-playing video games, developing franchises such as Chrono, Mana, Kingdom Hearts, and Super Mario RPG.

January 1997: Announcement of Games for Nintendo and Sony Consoles

In January 1997, despite Square's exclusivity announcement, Enix announced it would release games for both Nintendo and Sony consoles, leading to a rise in stock for both Enix and Sony.

November 1999: Listing in Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section

By November 1999, Enix was listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section, indicating it as a "large company".

2000: Merger Considered

A merger between Square and Enix was considered since at least 2000.

2000: PlayOnline Sold Merchandise

Starting in 2000, Square Enix's former online gaming portal PlayOnline sold merchandise from game franchises including Parasite Eve, Vagrant Story, Chocobo Racing, Front Mission, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy.

October 8, 2001: Sony's Investment in Square

On October 8, 2001, Sony purchased an 18.6% stake in Square after the financial failure of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

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2001: Enix publishes Cross Gate

In 2001, Enix published its first online game, Cross Gate, in Japan, mainland China, and Taiwan.

2001: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Released

In 2001, Square subsidiary Square Pictures produced Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Its box-office failure caused Enix to delay the merger with Square.

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November 25, 2002: Announcement of Square and Enix Merger

On November 25, 2002, it was announced that Square and Enix's previous plans to merge would officially proceed, aiming to decrease development costs and compete with foreign developers. The merger happened because Square had recovered financially after the success of Final Fantasy X and Kingdom Hearts.

2002: Square releases Final Fantasy XI

In 2002, Square released Final Fantasy XI in Japan for the PlayStation 2 and later for personal computers.

April 1, 2003: Square Enix Merger

On April 1, 2003, the merger of Square and Enix was finalized, creating Square Enix. Each Square share was exchanged for 0.85 Enix shares. Yoichi Wada became president, Keiji Honda became vice president, and Yasuhiro Fukushima became honorary chairman.

April 2003: Square Enix Co., Ltd. Formation

In April 2003, Square Enix Co., Ltd. was formed through a merger between Square and Enix, with Enix as the surviving company. Square's common stock was exchanged for Enix's at a ratio of 0.85 shares per Square share. Yoichi Wada, former Square president, became president of the new corporation, and Keiji Honda, former Enix president, became vice president. Yasuhiro Fukushima, Enix's founder, became chairman.

March 2004: Acquisition of UIEvolution

In March 2004, Square Enix acquired mobile application developer UIEvolution to strengthen its wireless market presence.

2004: Development of Crystal Tools Engine Begins

In 2004, Square Enix began working on a "common 3D format" that would allow titles to be developed without platform restrictions, leading to the creation of the Crystal Tools game engine.

2004: Mobile Game Availability in Europe

In 2004, Square Enix mobile phone games became available on the Vodafone network in some European countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

January 2005: Foundation of Square Enix China

In January 2005, Square Enix founded Square Enix China, expanding interests in the People's Republic of China.

September 2005: Acquisition of Taito

In September 2005, Square Enix acquired gaming developer and publisher Taito, known for arcade hits such as Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble series.

2005: Acquisition of Taito

In 2005, Square Enix acquired the arcade corporation Taito, expanding its business operations.

2005: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Released

In 2005, Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, a CGI-animation film based on Final Fantasy VII.

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2005: Square Enix Enters Arcade Market

In 2005, with the merger of Taito businesses into Square Enix, the company gained Taito's arcade infrastructure and facilities and entered the arcade market.

2005: First Showing of Crystal Tools

The Crystal Tools engine was first showcased at a tech demo at E3 2005.

2006: Square Enix Drops Fantasy Earth Zero Project

In 2006, Square Enix dropped the Fantasy Earth Zero project and sold it to GamePot.

March 2007: Reorganization of Development Department

According to Yoichi Wada, in March 2007, the development department was reorganized away from the Product Development Division System into a project-based system.

April 2007: John Yamamoto Appointed CEO of Square Enix, Inc.

In April 2007, Square Enix Ltd. CEO John Yamamoto also became CEO of Square Enix, Inc.

December 2007: Sale of UIEvolution

In December 2007, Square Enix sold UIEvolution.

2007: Commitment to Multi-Platform Publishing

In 2007, Square Enix reiterated their devotion to multi-platform publishing, promising more support for the North American and European gaming markets.

2007: Square Enix releases Concerto Gate

Square Enix released Concerto Gate, the sequel to Cross Gate, in 2007.

January 2008: Foundation of Square Enix MobileStudio

In January 2008, Square Enix founded Square Enix MobileStudio to focus on mobile products.

August 2008: Proposed Takeover of Tecmo

In August 2008, Square Enix planned a friendly takeover of video game developer Tecmo by purchasing shares, but Tecmo rejected the proposal.

October 1, 2008: Transformation into a Holding Company

On October 1, 2008, Square Enix transformed into a holding company and was renamed Square Enix Holdings. The development and publishing businesses were transferred to Square Enix, a spin-off company.

October 2008: Company Split and Reorganization

In October 2008, Square Enix conducted a company split between its corporate business and video game operations. The company reorganized itself as the holding company Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., while its internally domestic video game operations were formed under the subsidiary Square Enix Co., Ltd.

2008: Final Fantasy XIII Announced for Xbox 360

In 2008, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIII, previously a PlayStation 3 exclusive, would be released on the Xbox 360.

2008: Release of Song Summoner and launch of Pure Dreams

In 2008, Square Enix released their first game for the iPod, Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes. Square Enix also launched a new brand for younger children gaming that year, known as Pure Dreams.

February 2009: Announcement of Takeover Deal for Eidos

In February 2009, Square Enix announced a takeover deal for Eidos (formerly SCi Entertainment), including Tomb Raider, Hitman, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain franchises.

April 2009: Tecmo Merged with Koei

In April 2009, Tecmo merged with Koei to form Koei Tecmo.

April 2009: Completion of Eidos Acquisition

In April 2009, the acquisition of Eidos was completed.

2009: Creation of Square Enix Europe

After acquiring Eidos in 2009, Square Enix combined it with its European publishing wing to create Square Enix Europe.

2009: Final Fantasy XIV Unveiled at E3

At E3 2009, Final Fantasy XIV for PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows was unveiled.

2009: Acquisition of Eidos plc

In 2009, Square Enix acquired Eidos plc, the parent company of British game publisher Eidos Interactive, which was then absorbed into its European branch.

2009: Strategic Alliance with Bandai Namco and Ubisoft

Square Enix has served as the Japanese publisher of video games and crossover productions since 2009 and signed a strategic alliance and cooperation with Japanese and French video game companies, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Ubisoft, in 2014.

March 2010: Merger of Taito's Console Divisions into Square Enix

By March 2010, Taito's home and portable console games divisions were merged into Square Enix itself.

April 2010: Announcement of Square Enix Extreme Edges

In April 2010, a new Japanese label for Western games bearing CERO restrictions called Square Enix Extreme Edges was announced.

July 2010: Mike Fischer Appointed CEO of Square Enix, Inc.

In July 2010, Mike Fischer was appointed CEO of Square Enix, Inc.

September 30, 2010: Release of Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV was released on September 30, 2010.

2010: Square Enix Launches Digital Manga Store in North America

In 2010, Square Enix launched a digital manga store for North American audiences via its Members services, containing several notable series published in Gangan anthologies.

2010: Taito Reveals NESiCAxLive

In 2010, Taito revealed NESiCAxLive, a cloud-based system for storing and changing arcade games.

2010: Slime Steam Buns Sold in Japan

In Japan, pork-filled steam buns shaped like slimes from Dragon Quest have been sold in 2010.

March 2011: Foundation of Hippos Lab

In March 2011, Square Enix founded the mobile development studio Hippos Lab.

June 2011: Stainless Games Purchased Carmageddon Rights

In June 2011, Stainless Games purchased the rights to Carmageddon from Square Enix.

July 2011: Closure of Los Angeles Studio

In July 2011, it was reported that Square Enix closed their Los Angeles Studio.

September 2011: Dragon Quest X Announced

In September 2011, Dragon Quest X was announced as an MMORPG being developed for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U consoles.

January 2012: Shift to Smaller Games in North America

In January 2012, Square Enix North American office could pursue smaller niche, mobile and social media games due to its existing revenue streams.

May 8, 2012: Square Enix Announces Collaboration with Bigpoint Games

On May 8, 2012, Square Enix announced a collaboration with Bigpoint Games to create a free-to-play cloud gaming platform.

August 2, 2012: Dragon Quest X Released on Wii

On August 2, 2012, Dragon Quest X was released for Nintendo's Wii console.

August 2012: CoreOnline Service Launched

In August 2012, the free-to-play cloud gaming platform service was launched under the name CoreOnline.

October 2012: Square Enix Perceived as a "Force in Mobile" Games

In October 2012, Square Enix was perceived as a "force in mobile" games.

2012: Merchandise for Mass Effect and Halo created, Square Enix Cafes Opened

Beginning in 2012, Square Enix created merchandise for third party series including figures for Mass Effect and Halo. Also beginning in 2012, Square Enix operates shops called "Square Enix Cafe" in Tokyo, Osaka and Shanghai.

2012: Luminous Engine Unveiled at E3

In 2012, Luminous Engine, intended for eighth-generation consoles, was unveiled at E3 through a tech demo called Agni's Philosophy.

2012: Deus Ex Film in Pre-Production

In 2012, a Deus Ex film was in pre-production.

March 2013: Opening of Square Enix India

In March 2013, Square Enix India opened in Mumbai.

March 2013: Fiscal Year Report and Business Model Shift

In March 2013, Square Enix's fiscal year report indicated weak sales of Tomb Raider (2013) and Hitman: Absolution despite critical acclaim, and the company noted the need to shift to a business model with frequent customer interactions.

March 26, 2013: Major Restructuring and Resignation of Yoichi Wada

On March 26, 2013, Square Enix announced major restructuring, expected loss of ¥10 billion and resignation of President Yoichi Wada, whom Yosuke Matsuda replaced, citing sluggish sales of major Western games.

March 30, 2013: Dragon Quest X Released on Wii U

On March 30, 2013, Dragon Quest X was released for Nintendo's Wii U console.

June 2013: Foundation of Smileworks in Indonesia

In June 2013, Square Enix founded a mobile studio called Smileworks in Indonesia.

September 2013: Layoffs and Departure of Ian Livingstone

In September 2013, Square Enix Europe was hit with layoffs and Life President Ian Livingstone departed from the company.

November 29, 2013: CoreOnline Service Cancelled

On November 29, 2013, the CoreOnline service was cancelled due to "limited commercial take-up".

December 2013: Restructuring into Business Divisions

In December 2013, Square Enix's development was restructured into 12 Business Divisions.

2013: Dragon Quest X Brought to iOS and Android

In 2013, Dragon Quest X was brought to iOS and Android in Japan using NTT DoCoMo and Ubitus.

March 2014: Return to Roots Strategy

In March 2014, Square Enix announced it would "go back to their roots" and focus on creating content that would appeal to their core audience, following the success of Bravely Default.

April 2014: Closure of Square Enix India

In April 2014, Square Enix India's Mumbai office was closed.

September 2014: Shinra Technologies Created

In September 2014, Shinra Technologies, a cloud gaming company, was created.

October 9, 2014: Square Enix Launches Dive In Service

On October 9, 2014, Square Enix launched Dive In, an online game service in Japan that allowed players to stream console games to their iOS or Android devices.

2014: Deus Ex Film Undergoing Rewrites

As of 2014, a Deus Ex film was undergoing rewrites.

2014: Dragon Quest X Brought to 3DS

In 2014, Dragon Quest X was also brought to 3DS in Japan using Ubitus.

January 2015: Closure of Smileworks

In January 2015, the mobile studio Smileworks in Indonesia was closed.

September 13, 2015: Dive In Service Cancelled

On September 13, 2015, the Dive In service was cancelled.

2015: Creation of Tokyo RPG Factory

In 2015, Square Enix created a new studio known as Tokyo RPG Factory to develop what was then dubbed Project Setsuna.

2015: Arcade Gaming Loyal Fanbase

In 2015, Square Enix game producers stated that they have a loyal fan base that values the arcade gaming experience.

January 2016: Shinra Technologies Closed

In January 2016, Shinra Technologies was closed.

2016: Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Revealed

In 2016, Square Enix revealed Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and a new web series entitled Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV.

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February 21, 2017: Formation of Studio Istolia

On February 21, 2017, Square Enix announced the formation of a new studio, Studio Istolia, headed by Hideo Baba. The studio was set to work on the new RPG Project Prelude Rune.

2017: Merger of Business Divisions

In 2017, Square Enix merged Business Division 9 into Business Division 8, merged Business Divisions 11 and 12 into a new Business Division 9, and created a new Business Division 11 using staff from Business Division 6.

November 2019: Square Enix Announces Ninja Tower Tokyo

In November 2019, Square Enix announced a "Ninja Tower Tokyo" theme park by its Live Interactive Works division.

2019: Consolidation into Creative Business Units

In 2019, Square Enix announced the consolidation of their eleven Business Divisions into four Creative Business Units by 2020.

2019: Square Enix Begins Publishing Manga Series in English

Starting in Q4 2019, Square Enix began publishing some of its manga series in English.

June 2020: Donation to Charities

In June 2020, Square Enix donated $2.4 million to charities supporting the Black Lives Matter cause and COVID-19 relief, with funds partially raised from sales of the discounted Square Enix Eidos Anthology bundle.

March 2021: Forever Entertainment to bring properties to modern systems

In March 2021, it was reported that Forever Entertainment, a Polish studio, was working to bring several of Square Enix's properties to modern systems.

October 2021: Announcement of Square Enix London Mobile

On October 20, 2021, Square Enix announced a new mobile studio called Square Enix London Mobile, which is working on Tomb Raider Reloaded and an unannounced Avatar: The Last Airbender game with Navigator Games.

March 2022: Franchise Sales Updates

As of March 2022, the Final Fantasy franchise had total worldwide sales of over 173 million units and the Kingdom Hearts series shipped 36 million units.

March 2022: Donation for Ukrainian Refugees

In March 2022, Square Enix announced they would donate $500,000 to the United Nations fund for Ukrainian refugees during the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

May 1, 2022: Sale of Assets to Embracer Group

On May 1, 2022, Square Enix announced the sale of several assets of subsidiary Square Enix Limited to Embracer Group for $300 million. This included studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, and Square Enix Montreal, IPs like Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain, Thief, Tomb Raider, and rights to "over 50 games".

May 2022: Sale of Assets to Embracer Group

In May 2022, Square Enix sold several assets of Square Enix Europe to Embracer Group for $300 million, including former Eidos Interactive franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain.

July 25, 2022: Launch of Manga Up!

On July 25, 2022, Square Enix launched the English version of Manga Up!.

August 26, 2022: Acquisition Closed by Embracer Group

By August 26, 2022, Embracer Group closed the acquisition of assets from Square Enix, which were placed under CDE Entertainment, headed by Phil Rogers in London.

September 2022: Shift Away From Studio Ownership

In the financial statement for the quarter released in September 2022, Yosuke Matsuda stated Square Enix was moving away from outright owning studios due to rising development costs, exploring joint ventures or investment opportunities instead.

February 28, 2023: Luminous Productions to Merge with Square Enix

On February 28, 2023, Square Enix Holdings announced that on May 1, Luminous Productions would reorganize and merge internally with Square Enix to enhance HD game development capabilities.

March 2024: Shift to Selective Game Development

In March 2024, Square Enix announced a shift to a more selective approach to game development, leading to the cancellation of numerous unannounced titles and a focus on Final Fantasy VII Remake's third installment after Rebirth.