Square Enix Divisions Going Through Major Consolidation

Some bombshell news came out of Square Enix’s most recent financial report. The famed Japanese developer is going through a massive restructuring of sorts, cutting down the number of its internal development units. Square originally had 11 Business divisions, each focusing on its own projects. However, plans were announced to consolidate its divisions into 4 distinct units by the end of 2019.

According to Square, the move is part of an effort to “increase the efficiency of our workflows, make more effective use of our resources, and consolidate our expertise with the aim of improving profitability.” At the moment, it’s not known how exactly this reorganization will take shape, though we should get more information on this in the coming months.

The Business Divisions of Square Enix each have had their own notable projects. For example, Business Division 2 was behind Final Fantasy XV, while Business Division 3 worked on the recently-released Kingdom Hearts III. The most recent division was Business Division 11, which was behind the Nintendo Switch exclusive Octopath Traveler. It’s unknown what divisions will go where and what they will be called after the consolidation.

It’s also unknown how this will impact the development of Square Enix’s titles. While supposedly the move will increase efficiency, it will surely require a bit of an adjustment. With major (and highly-anticipated) titles like the Final Fantasy VII remake on the way, it will be interesting to see this move reflected in the publisher’s output. Square Enix did not say if any jobs would be lost in this transition.

In terms of major releases, Sqaure Enix just released Kingdom Hears III to massive sales success. Unfortunately, other notable titles, like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Just Cause 4, missed the mark.

[Source: Square Enix]