Square Enix looks to be opening a new Western studio called Onamo as per the Canadian Trademarks Database.
As reported by VGC, this new studio will focus on designing, developing, and publishing video game software, as expected. However, it may also help with strategy guides, posters, games, toys, action figures, and more.
This news follows Square Enix selling off its Western studios Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics, along with a slew of IPs such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex. Some analysts believe this was because of how expensive these studios' games were and how long it would take to recoup the losses, with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided costing $70 million CAD and taking over half a decade to reach 12 million sales.
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The trademark was listed on August 17 by Square Enix Newco Limited which was formed last year in London. Its application has been accepted but "has not yet been assigned to an examiner".
It's unclear what this means for Square Enix's future in the West, but it was reported earlier this month that Square Enix was trying to "sell its stakes" in its studios so that it could focus more on Japanese games: "Crystal Dynamics/Eidos sale was driven by concerns that the titles cannibalized sales of the rest of the group and so it could improve capital efficiency," analyst David Gibson claimed.
Eidos Montreal founder Stephane D'Astrous had a different theory though, positing that these studios were sold so that Square Enix could prepare for a Sony buyout. Whatever the case, Square Enix appears to be expanding with a new studio in the West. We'll have to wait and see what role it will play in the company's future.
In the meantime, Square Enix has both Final Fantasy 16 and Forspoken underway, with the latter taking notes from the likes of Devil May Cry in its combo grading system. Final Fantasy 16 meanwhile is pushing forward as a real-time action RPG as producer Naoki Yoshida said that "it doesn't make sense" to go back to the slower and more methodical turn-based combat of days passed.
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