The odds of a Forspoken 2 have been slashed as its developer is stripped of its independence, but it’ll keep working on AAA games.
A couple of years after the launch of 2016’s Final Fantasy 15, Square Enix studio Business Division 2 was renamed Luminous Productions and tasked with creating new triple-A games with Square Enix’s Luminous Engine (the same one used for Final Fantasy 15).
However, five years and one game later, the subsidiary is set to be absorbed back into Square Enix and it’s all because of Forspoken.
The change will happen on May 1 but Luminous will continue to work on Forspoken and still intends to launch its prequel DLC, In Tanta We Trust, this summer.
‘The merger is part of the company’s efforts to further bolster the competitive prowess of the group’s development studios, a goal set forth under its current medium-term business strategy,’ says Square Enix.
‘Luminous Productions is equipped not only with triple-A title development capabilities but also technical expertise in areas such as game engine development,’ which the company believes will help bolster and improve its ability to create such triple-A titles.
There’s no telling whether Luminous will still be able to lead development on future games or if it’ll be delegated to a support role.
Luminous’ own message on the matter spins the merger as a positive, saying: ‘Beginning on May 1, our talented team will join Square Enix to deliver new, innovative gaming experiences to players across the globe.
‘When we established Luminous Productions in 2018, our vision was to make triple-A games that fused technology and artistry to deliver completely new play experiences. Having the chance to do just that has been a dream come true.
‘We appreciate you taking this journey with us and look forward to continuing to create new entertainment and experiences as a part of the Square Enix family.’
Although the middling critical reception, general public perception, and poor sales already suggested that wasn’t happening. After debuting at number four in the UK sales charts, Forspoken dropped to number 20 a week later, its sales dwarfed by the newest SpongeBob SquarePants game, of all things.
Although it was obvious Square Enix thought Forspoken was a dud before it even launched. As a reminder, many sites (including us) never received review codes, which is often a sign that a company has little faith in its product and fully expects negative reviews.
Forspoken is available for PlayStation 5 and PC.
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