Square Enix says it’s not for sale, as multiple parties eye acquisition

Could Microsoft or Sony welcome Square Enix into their family of in-house talent?

What you need to know

• Multiple potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring Square Enix, a new report from CTFN states.
• Square Enix states it has no plans to sell in a new press release, with no "offer from any third party to acquire the company or any part of its businesses."

Square Enix has stated it has no plans to sell the company, following reports stating multiple parties were interested in acquiring the publisher. The Japanese firm, best known for the Final Fantasy role-playing franchise, has said it has received no acquisition offers from third parties, stressing no plans to part with any component of its businesses.

The announcement comes following reports of several budding buyers lining up for the publisher, as broken by CTFN, via Bloomberg. "Bloomberg has reported today that there is interest from several buyers to acquire Square Enix," the company stated via a press release. "However, this report is not based on any announcement by SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD. We do not consider selling off the company or any part of its businesses, nor have we received any offer from any third party to acquire the company or any part of its businesses."

While the report didn't name involved parties, speculation falls around two of the biggest console platform holders, Microsoft and Sony. It comes as executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer has previously expressed interest in onboarding additional Japanese talent. Sony has also demonstrated a longstanding relationship with the publisher, with many past projects releasing exclusively on PlayStation consoles.

It follows a string of studio acquisitions in the gaming space, with platform holders setting out to expand in-house creative arms, supporting their respective gaming platforms. Microsoft most recently closed its acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion. Previous reports also state Sony looks to acquire Bluepoint Games, most recently known for the Demon's Souls remake and Shadow of the Colossus.