Square Enix Finally Admits It Announces Games Way Too Early

Square Enix has a habit its own shareholders are tired of — announcing blockbuster games years before they’re ready to play. The Japanese publisher finally acknowledged the problem at its latest annual general meeting, and says it’s “rethinking” how and when it announces new titles.

The complaint is familiar to anyone who’s followed the company over the past decade. Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced in 2013 and didn’t ship until 2019 — six years of waiting. Now Kingdom Hearts 4, first revealed in 2022, has gone four years with only two trailers to show for it. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest mainline entries follow the same pattern: big reveal, then radio silence for years.

At the shareholder meeting, one investor pressed the company directly, pointing out that the gap between announcement and release for flagship Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles is so long it drains fan excitement. The shareholder asked for clearer release timelines.

Square Enix’s response was refreshingly honest — they admitted this is a real problem that needs fixing. The company outlined a concrete change in approach: shorter gaps between announcement and launch. As an example, they pointed to Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, which will be announced much closer to its actual release date.

Two major titles could benefit from this shift. Kingdom Hearts 4 and Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate both received fresh trailers recently. If Square Enix follows through on its promise to reduce wait times, neither should be too far off.

The question is whether this applies retroactively to games already announced — or if fans of Kingdom Hearts 4 and Dragon Quest XII will have to wait a few more years regardless.