Square Enix was first founded as a merger between Japanese game development giants Squaresoft and Enix in 2003. Since then, Square Enix has had some notable excellent titles almost every year. . However, 2025 looks set to be one of the softest years in the company’s history. So Square Enix needs Kingdom Hearts 4 and one Final Fantasy XIII do it again in 2025.
Let’s take a look at Square Enix’s slate of releases in 2025. As of this writing following the announcement of The Game Awards 2024, there are only two releases that players can expect from the company in 2025. Those two announcements are just that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for PC And Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D remake.
The former is simply an adaptation of an existing game, while the latter could be a great remake. However, those are the only releases. As of now, this looks to be the lightest year in Square Enix’s history since 2003 if nothing else is announced. Of course, I’m really looking forward to more announcements.
Up until this point, I think there are some really important releases that will position the company to do better in 2025. For example, I don’t necessarily see Dragon Quest XII should come out next year, especially with the silence surrounding it. But what I can see happening, as unlikely as it seems, is a release Kingdom Hearts 4.
It was first announced in April 2022, with initial development taking until 2020 at the latest. For reference, Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced in 2013 and launched six years later. That timeline sounds pretty bleak for hopes of this next entry in 2025, but I think Square Enix is getting better about announcement timing.
Take a look Final Fantasy VII remakeannounced in 2015, 5 years before release. However, its sequel was announced in 2022 and released less than two years later. There is a slim chance for Kingdom Hearts 4 in 2025, and that was enough to save the year for Square Enix.
However, I admit that such a possibility is unlikely at this time. Instead, there are some other options worth mentioning that could save Square Enix in 2025. For example, a full remaster of the entire Final Fantasy XIII triad. This trilogy is pretty much the only main single-player section The ultimate fantasy the game is not available on modern platforms in some way. Well, other than backwards compatibility on Xbox, but that hardly counts.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 release inevitable in 2025, FFXIII The trilogy remaster sounds like a great early launch title. These games have quite a few problems, but they are worth a second look. I still think the visuals look almost comparable to today’s games, while the story is great. I also didn’t like the linear nature of the original, but the second title helped with that.
Not to mention, this is also a highly practical option. Get out FFXIIIThere are a few final options worth mentioning. A new one NieR the game feels inevitable, and 2025 would be the best year for Square Enix to launch a game. I’ve dug deep Why do I think this is about to happen?but it will be a monumental release nonetheless.
There are also some smaller titles I’d like to see in 2025. We could see a sequel brave defaultsomething I’m looking forward to on the Switch 2. There’s also the possibility of a new HD-2D remake of another Square classic like Time trigger or Xenogears. I can even see one Triangular strategy 2 or successor.
Regardless, Square Enix is now virtually empty in 2025. I don’t expect this to stay that way much longer. If not, 2025 could be one of the worst years in the company’s history, in terms of total issuance, if not the weakest overall. Square Enix needs big games in 2025 like Kingdom Hearts 4 or one FFXIII remaster to attract fans.
Kingdom Hearts 4 release is expected in the relatively near future for an unconfirmed set of platforms.
