Square-Enix announced that he will replace chairman Yosuke Matsuda pending board approval at its annual meeting of shareholders in June. Takashi Kiryu, who joined the publisher in 2020, will take over.
Square Enix President Pushed NFT and Blockchain Initiatives
It’s the end of an era for Square Enix, which had been under Matsuda’s leadership since 2013, when he replaced Yoichi Wada. More recently, Matsuda has become known for pushing NFT and Blockchain initiatives, arguing that Square Enix needs to keep up with new technologies and frameworks.
Square Enix has gone through several years of problems within the company. Many of his high-profile releases failed or failed to meet sales expectations, from Marvel’s Avengers to Babylon’s Fall to Forspoken. In gaming, Final Fantasy has kept Square Enix afloat.
Square Enix ultimately decided to divest its Western operations and sell its studios and IP to Embracer Group, including Tomb Raider and its development studio Crystal Dynamics, and Eidos with its Deus Ex franchise.
According to a press release, the management change is due to a “rapidly changing business environment surrounding the entertainment industry.” We hope this doesn’t mean another push towards NFTs.