PlayStation insider and former IGN writer Greg Miller has corroborated a rumor that Sony was reportedly in talks to acquire Square Enix. This comes just days after Square Enix sold some of its teams to Embracer Group, largely shedding its western talent with IPs like Deus Ex, Thief, and even its Marvel titles. The transfer of Marvel titles to Embracer has created doubt for the future of games like Marvel’s Avengers, as its future is subjected to the approval of Disney. While Square Enix will hold on to the teams responsible for IPs like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, there are rumors there could be more to this.
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According to Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller, he had heard rumblings of PlayStation trying to buy Square Enix a while ago. Both Miller and journalist Jeff Grubb teased a big PlayStation-related acquisition a few weeks ago, but couldn’t share specifics. Miller went on to note that the information he was given wasn’t explicit, meaning he wasn’t sure if the whispers he had heard referred to Square Enix’s western studios or the Japanese side of the publisher. Grubb had previously stated that he had also heard the Square Enix acquisition rumor, but seemed to echo Miller’s thoughts about the lack of clarity on specifics. Whether or not Sony lost out on a deal on those western teams remains a mystery. PlayStation remains bullish in its efforts to acquire more talent, but hasn’t indicated who it has set its eyes on next.
It’s possible Sony wanted to acquire Square Enix’s Japanese teams, but that meant the western teams had to be sold off to someone like Embracer. As of right now, there are a lot more questions than answers. If something is cooking, we’ll likely find out in the coming months. Final Fantasy XVI is slated to be a PlayStation exclusive, so there is already a strong relationship between the two parties, but only time will tell if it’s strong enough to merge the two.
Do you think PlayStation should or would acquire Square Enix? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
