Square Enix Shoots Down Acquisition Rumors

Rumors that buyers were showing interest in Square Enix have turned out to be greatly exaggerated


Published: April 16, 2021 9:31 AM /

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The Square Enix logo against a white backdrop

Square Enix has shot down rumors that it's about to be acquired by a third party. The rumors began circulating courtesy of market news platform CTFN, leading to Bloomberg picking up the story, but it looks like it's not happening.

What were the rumors that Square Enix might be purchased?

These rumors were originally reported on by CTFN's Sarah Cohen. According to "two bankers following digital gaming deals" - CTFN's source - Square Enix was said to have received some interest in the mergers and acquisitions department, suggesting that another party might be gearing up to buy the gaming giant. Following CTFN's reporting, Bloomberg Japan picked up the story citing CTFN (note: we're using machine translation for this article), suggesting that "several potential buyers" had shown interest in Square Enix.

Yuffie and Sonon in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Square Enix, developer of the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake - Intergrade, has shot down acquisition rumors.

Following these stories, Square Enix issued an official press release refuting the rumor. The press release is simply headed "Today's Media Coverage", and clearly states that both Bloomberg and CTFN are not basing their information on "any announcement by Square Enix". The studio goes on to say that it is not considering selling the company or any part of the company, nor has it "received any offer from any third party" in the acquisitions department.

What would an acquisition mean for Square Enix?

Given that Square Enix has declared it hasn't received any offers from third parties to acquire it, everything seems like it will proceed as normal. However, there was some speculation that the company interested in purchasing the Japanese giant might be Microsoft, after the company's high-profile acquisition of Bethesda Softworks and parent company ZeniMax Media last year. Microsoft has historically struggled somewhat in Japan, so having a company like Square Enix on the books would be a boon in that department. Sadly, it seems these are simply rumors, at least for the time being.

According to industry consultant Serkan Toto, Square Enix's stock went into lunch break in Japan with a +13.80% rating after the rumors of an acquisition surfaced. It remains to be seen exactly how the stock will respond to the company's own assertion that the rumors are definitely not correct. We'll bring you more on this as soon as we get it.

How would you feel about any potential Square Enix acquisition? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph