Square Enix confirmed planned layoffs affecting its US and EU operations during an internal staff meeting, company attendees and reporting by VGC indicate.
The move comes shortly after the publisher released its quarterly financial results and announced a renewed focus on multiplatform publishing following the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.
According to VGC and employees present at the meeting, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu told staff that layoffs would impact both the company’s United States and European divisions and would be rolled out over the coming month.
Rewriting the reported statement in clear, journalistic terms: Kiryu informed employees that job reductions would affect across-the-board operations in the US and EU and that notifications to impacted staff would be issued in the immediate term.
Sources at the meeting identified the teams expected to be most affected: publishing, IT, and Square Enix’s Collective indie games division.
VGC reported that company insiders were told affected employees would be notified this week.
UK-based staff were described as entering a one-month consultancy phase, while US employees were reportedly given the option to leave their roles before June.
Employees also reported internal communications changes following the announcement; Square Enix’s main Slack channels were locked after the meeting, according to those in attendance and VGC’s coverage.
The publisher has not released a public headcount for the reductions or an official timeline beyond the internal guidance shared with staff.
These developments follow Square Enix’s quarterly financial disclosure and the company’s stated strategic shift to pursue multiplatform releases more broadly after Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s release on PlayStation 5 in February 2024.
Square Enix has a long history of publishing across consoles and digital stores including the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch, as well as PlayStation and other platforms, which informs its multiplatform positioning.
Square Enix and company leadership have not issued a public statement expanding on the internal meeting details at the time of reporting.
This article will be updated if Square Enix provides further information or a formal statement regarding the scope and scale of the workforce changes.
The move comes shortly after the publisher released its quarterly financial results and announced a renewed focus on multiplatform publishing following the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.
According to VGC and employees present at the meeting, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu told staff that layoffs would impact both the company’s United States and European divisions and would be rolled out over the coming month.
Rewriting the reported statement in clear, journalistic terms: Kiryu informed employees that job reductions would affect across-the-board operations in the US and EU and that notifications to impacted staff would be issued in the immediate term.
Sources at the meeting identified the teams expected to be most affected: publishing, IT, and Square Enix’s Collective indie games division.
VGC reported that company insiders were told affected employees would be notified this week.
UK-based staff were described as entering a one-month consultancy phase, while US employees were reportedly given the option to leave their roles before June.
Employees also reported internal communications changes following the announcement; Square Enix’s main Slack channels were locked after the meeting, according to those in attendance and VGC’s coverage.
The publisher has not released a public headcount for the reductions or an official timeline beyond the internal guidance shared with staff.
These developments follow Square Enix’s quarterly financial disclosure and the company’s stated strategic shift to pursue multiplatform releases more broadly after Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s release on PlayStation 5 in February 2024.
Square Enix has a long history of publishing across consoles and digital stores including the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch, as well as PlayStation and other platforms, which informs its multiplatform positioning.
Square Enix and company leadership have not issued a public statement expanding on the internal meeting details at the time of reporting.
This article will be updated if Square Enix provides further information or a formal statement regarding the scope and scale of the workforce changes.
