There’s been a lot going on at Square Enix lately, but those who expected the company to calm down now that it’s sold its biggest Western studios might be in for a surprise. While it is clear that major restructurings are taking place behind closed doors, the current state of affairs may be even more exciting.
Jeff Grubb recently spoke on Twitter about the current state of Square Enix and what it could mean for the company in the grand scheme of things. The idea that is currently being considered is that Square Enix is preparing to be acquired, and although Grubb does not seem to have any concrete information that confirms or denies it, he apparently believes that it is so.
According to Grubb, the idea that Square Enix is seeking to be acquired by a larger company is not really based on inside information, as none of their usual sources want to comment on the matter due to the very real possibility of legal consequences if discovered as a leak.
Instead, Grubb’s opinion on the recent acquisition of developers from Square Enix on Embracer’s part is that the publisher wanted to get rid of IP and studios and streamline its holdings. Others have suggested that the sale of Square Enix’s western studios is to avoid potential antitrust issues from the FTC for whoever acquires the company.
Of course, while Grubb is adamant that he believes Square Enix already has a buyer in mind, the company may simply be reinventing itself in a way that makes sense to the top brass. Square Enix’s president expressed his interest in NFTs, for example, and the publisher may have believed that properties like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex simply didn’t have the potential to grow in that direction.