Microsoft Considered Acquiring Square Enix to Improve Xbox's Presence in Asia

The publisher of the Final Fantasy series, Square Enix, among many other well-known studios, was one target for acquisition by Microsoft back in 2019, according to the internal papers shared during the FTC-Microsoft trial.

The documents also explain Microsoft's aims to acquire Square Enix. The Japanese publisher would have helped Xbox Game Pass grow by adding new releases to the service and helped "future mobile-exclusive Game Pass offerings". Currently, Game Pass supports Xbox and PC, but it looks like Microsoft has had some broader plans in the past as this suggests that Microsoft was planning to expand its subscription service further in the future.

"Combining Square Enix's robust mobile-native portfolio with our own could potentially help us create a mobile-native Xbox Game Pass SKU," the document reads. Earlier, it was revealed that Microsoft planned to acquire Sega, Bungie, IO Interactive, and many other companies to boost the growth of Xbox Game Pass.

The acquisition would also have improved the Xbox's presence in Asian markets, where it has always struggled. However, it's interesting to note that Square Enix seems not to have been interested in partnering with Microsoft for Xbox consoles. the studio took the opposite direction. Several of the largest titles from the publisher, like Final Fantasy Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, and Forspoken, are not available on Xbox. 

Given that Final Fantasy XVI sold well in just a few days and became the best-selling PlayStation 5 exclusive, it is probable that Square Enix and Sony will continue to have a close working partnership in the future.

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