Square Enix announced plans today to directly expand its visual novel and manga distribution to the U.S., most notably bringing Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future to the English market. In the past, Square Enix has licensed its properties to U.S. publishers. For example, in Japan it was the publisher of both Fullmetal Alchemist and Soul Eater. However, the company will be taking a primary role in distribution in other regions going forward. In partnership with Penguin Random House Publisher Services, Square Enix plans to release an entire line of English manga, novels, and art books based on its established properties.
Final Fantasy XV: The of the Future, which adds on to the game’s story, was released in Japan in April 2019. The book is planned to be translated into English and brought over to the U.S. and other English-speaking markets in fall 2019. The company will begin to distribute its manga series then as well. Releases planned for that same time are the novel Hi Score Girl, A Man and His Cat, and the complete Soul Eater manga in a new edition. No firm release date was given for any of these, but they are meant to “anchor” Square Enix’s launch into the new territory.
The novel Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future will tell the story that the game originally planned on exploring through DLC, however some of that content was canceled. It will cover that game’s final post-launch content, the Episode Ardyn segment that takes place 35 years before the events of the game, and the Aranea, Noctis and Lunafreye episodes which were canceled when Hajime Tabata, Final Fantasy XV‘s Director, left Square Enix in 2018.
Are you excited to learn more about the story of Final Fantasy XV? What other Square Enix properties would you like to see as a novel? Give me your ideas in the comments!
