Forspoken Developer Will Be Folded Back Into Square Enix

Forspoken developer Luminous Productions will be absorbed back into Square Enix to continue working on AAA games, the company announced.

On Twitter, Luminous Productions revealed that the change will go into effect at the beginning of May.

"Beginning on May 1, our talented team will join Square Enix to deliver new, innovative gaming experiences to players across the globe," Luminous' statement reads.

"Betwen now and then we remain entirely focused on Forspoken. We are currently working on the previously announced patch to address overall game performance (we will deliver an update soon) and the DLC, In Tanta We Trust, is on track for release this summer. Thank you again for your patience and support!"

An Update from Luminous Productions pic.twitter.com/fbDENflRhj

— Luminous Productions (@LumiPro_EN) February 28, 2023

Square Enix also released a statement, saying in part, "The merger is part of the Company’s efforts to further bolster the competitive prowess of the Group’s development studios," and that "Luminous Productions Co., Ltd. is meanwhile equipped not only with AAA title development capabilities but also technical expertise in areas such as game engine development. Combining the two entities will further enhance the Group’s ability to develop HD games."

Luminous Productions was originally created largely from developers who worked at Square Enix on Final Fantasy XV. The studio was tasked with crreating new games in the Luminous Engine, the same engine used for Final Fantasy XV. Forspoken was the only game the studio shipped during its existence.

Forspoken released in January to mixed critical reception. In our review, we said, "Forspoken is the sort of game you’ve probably seen before – from its stereotypical fish-out-of-water fantasy story to its giant open-world map full of repetitive optional tasks."

The game has been criticized for uneven performance, prompting Luminous Productions to work on a patch for performance, graphics, playability, and other fixes.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.