New financials from publisher Square Enix, alongside reported information from outlet IGN, show that the Final Fantasy maker is shrinking down its Western workforce to further focus on Japanese development.
Those financial reports include a note that says "review and optimization of overseas studio development
organizational structures" is a key aim for Square, while IGN adds that more than 100 employees are at risk across SE's US and UK teams.
Affected employees were reportedly made aware of the changes last week; we'll quote IGN on this down below:
"Via public posts from former employees as well as confirmation from internal sources, IGN has learned that employees in the UK and US are being informed of the layoffs today, with an unknown number of US employees being dismissed by the end of the week, and a possible 137 jobs at risk in the UK.
Under UK law, Square Enix must undergo redundancy consultations to see if any jobs can potentially be saved, so the final number in the UK could be smaller. It is not yet clear which teams were impacted by this, or to what extent."
This follows a concerted effort in recent years from Square Enix to focus more on Japanese development over its Western efforts. Back in 2022, the company sold off Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and Square Enix Montreal to massively cut down on its US/Canadian workforce, and it's continued to move in that direction since.
Here in 2025, this feels like yet another job loss footnote in a year of mass gaming layoffs. We've seen unprecedented job losses in the industry over the last few years, and we hope that anyone who may be affected by these Square Enix cuts lands on their feet ASAP.