Square Enix titles traditionally don’t come out on Xbox platforms, let alone the Game Pass. However, this all changed with the company’s latest announcement.
In a thrilling and unexpected turn of events at this year’s Final Fantasy Fan Fest, Square Enix made a revelation that came as a surprise to most. The immensely popular MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV, previously exclusive to the PlayStation consoles, is now coming to the Xbox consoles next spring. This historic moment was the culmination of years of negotiation as Xbox strived to ensure its consoles aren’t devoid of remarkable games like Final Fantasy.
Square Enix CEO, Takashi Kiryu, appeared onstage alongside Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy XIV’s game director, and Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, to announce this long-awaited event. Amid the electric excitement of the crowd, Kiryu hinted at a future rich with potential for Xbox gamers. The CEO declared that starting from the release of Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix plans to bring their much-loved games to Xbox players globally, whenever possible. He also expressed his eagerness to work closely with Phil and the Xbox team to fulfill this promise.
In response, Spencer reciprocated Kiryu’s sentiments, underscoring their deep respect for Square Enix’s legacy and how he plans to strengthen their collaborative relationship. Their mutual commitment suggests that the gaming landscape might see a shift from PlayStation’s dominance towards a more balanced environment with an extensive array of Square Enix games on the Xbox platform, maybe even the Game Pass.
Square Enix’s proclivity for PlayStation has been a pressing concern for Xbox. In the recent FTC v. Microsoft trial, documents revealed that Xbox even contemplated purchasing Square Enix in 2019 to counteract PlayStation’s exclusivity deals. This notion further accentuates the critical importance for Xbox to enrich its game library and to ensure it’s not missing out on major games like Final Fantasy XVI.
This change of course does not come without context. This year, the best-selling title, Final Fantasy XVI, launched as a PS5 exclusive, while other Square Enix games, such as Octopath Traveler 2 and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, bypassed the Xbox entirely. But the winds of change seem to be blowing in a different direction. The newfound partnership between Xbox and Square Enix sets a promising precedent, potentially marking the end of an era of PlayStation exclusivity deals for Square Enix content.
The optimistic aura surrounding Square Enix’s future with Xbox does not just halt at Final Fantasy XIV. The partnership has a broader scope, promising to deliver more games to Xbox players, as stated by Square Enix’s PR director, Luke Karmali, “This is just the beginning of our journey together.”
Square Enix’s treasure trove of IPs would feel at home on the Game Pass and the Xbox platform, in general. While Microsoft and its more “western” take on RPGs will see the release of Fable and Avowed on the Xbox Series S/X, it’s undeniable plenty of fans would love to see the more “traditional” take on the genre. A strengthened partnership with Square Enix could see the likes of Legend of Mana, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, among others, become available on the Xbox Series S/X soon.
However, there’s always the shadow of past events. A similar occasion happened when Xbox partnered with Square Enix to bring nearly every Final Fantasy available at the time and Octopath Traveler to Xbox Game Pass. This momentum was short-lived as Forspoken, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Final Fantasy 16 were confirmed as PlayStation 5 exclusives.
Despite this, the gaming community remains hopeful that this newfound collaboration between Xbox and Square Enix will be more sustainable.
For now, we’ll just have to wait to see what Square Enix brings to the Xbox next. At the moment, Square Enix is working on a possible DLC for Final Fantasy 16, which will remain exclusive to the PlayStation until at least next January, and a PC port of the same game. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the sequel to the much-ballyhooed Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is also set to arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 5 early next year.
