From Trials of Mana to Romancing SaGa 2, Japanese contract developer Xeen has silently become a powerhouse in remake development 

Studios doing contract development work for major game companies tend to stay behind the scenes – and while some get their big breaks, many never gain recognition outside of industry circles. Japanese game developer Xeen has been in the arcade, console and mobile game business for 19 years – but recently, they’ve seen their popularity grow rapidly, as both clients and players take note of their consistent output of high-quality remakes. 

Most notably, Xeen is the developer behind Square Enix’s Trials of Mana (2020) and Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (2024). They fully remade both titles, originally top-down pixel-art RPGs, into third-person 3D games, earning high praise from players. Additionally, Xeen is credited on titles like Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor: ReFantazio and Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. 

AUTOMATON recently spoke to Xeen’s president Yosuke Satomi and development lead Tadayuki Akiyama to find out more about the studio and how they’ve made it to where they are now.  

Being a contract developer, Xeen had already earned a solid reputation in the industry throughout the years – largely for its track record of “bug-free development” – but it didn’t start seeing popularity among general consumers until recently. “Most people had no idea who we were,” Akiyama comments. However, their work on the Trials of Mana and Romancing SaGa 2 remakes changed this. Aside from being allowed to display their logo alongside Square Enix’s, it was the back-to-back positive reception of the remakes that cemented Xeen’s standing.  

“While Trials of Mana was well-received and enjoyed as a remake, not many people paid attention to who developed it. But then, when Romancing SaGa 2 came out as the second title, people started to notice that it was made by the same developer, and that’s what gave us more recognition. So naturally, the reaction to Romancing SaGa 2 was bigger, but that was only possible thanks to the success of Trials of Mana before it.” By consecutively releasing two remakes of the same caliber, Xeen essentially proved itself to Square Enix fans. 

As for what made these remake resonate with players, Satomi thinks Xeen’s adjustments to game tempo were crucial. “The remakes had a faster pace. Older games often required a lot more effort to play, and while this is part of what made them attractive, it also made them drag. Nowadays, games are designed to be played smoothly, without much hassle. Striking the right balance between modern game pacing and the spirit of the original was something our team really worked on.” Despite realistically introducing an “incredible amount of changes” to Romancing SaGa 2, Xeen didn’t let fans feel that anything crucial had been tampered with, which could be the secret to a successful remake. 

Although it has maintained strong relations with a variety of major publishers throughout the years, the studio is now seeing its own fans for the first time as players look forward to the next project with the name “Xeen” behind it. Going forward, the company will continue to pursue both contract development and original projects across multiple devices and genres.