{"id":69483,"date":"2026-07-10T18:27:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T09:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=69483"},"modified":"2026-07-10T18:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T09:34:27","slug":"square-enix-shuts-down-its-15-year-old-western-game-publishing-label-saying-overseas-titles-no-longer-need-exotic-treatment-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/square-enix-shuts-down-its-15-year-old-western-game-publishing-label-saying-overseas-titles-no-longer-need-exotic-treatment-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Square Enix shuts down its 15-year-old \u201cWestern game\u201d publishing label, saying overseas titles no longer need exotic treatment in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Square Enix announced on July 9 that it would be shutting down SQUARE ENIX EXTREME EDGES, its overseas publishing label, marking the end of its 16-year history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"ja\" dir=\"ltr\">SQUARE ENIX EXTREME EDGES\u30ec\u30fc\u30d9\u30eb \u30af\u30ed\u30fc\u30ba\u306e\u304a\u77e5\u3089\u305b<br><br>SQUARE ENIX EXTREME EDGES\u306f2010\u5e74\u3001\u6d77\u5916\u306e\u9b45\u529b\u7684\u306a\u30bf\u30a4\u30c8\u30eb\u3092\u4e00\u4eba\u3067\u3082\u591a\u304f\u306e\u65b9\u306b\u77e5\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304d\u305f\u3044\u3068\u3044\u3046\u601d\u3044\u304b\u3089\u30b9\u30bf\u30fc\u30c8\u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u2026<\/p>&mdash; SQEX EXTREME EDGES (@sqex_ee) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sqex_ee\/status\/2075082044829520315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SQUARE ENIX EXTREME EDGES started back in 2010 as an effort to bring overseas game titles to Japan. It has contributed to the popularization of numerous Western games domestically, with the most well-known examples being Call of Duty and the Life is Strange series. Some of the other game franchises it handled throughout the years include Tomb Raider, Hitman and Deux Ex.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Square Enix\u2019s decision to discontinue the label comes as a result of the change in the video game market and its globalization. As they explain in the official announcement, \u201cnow that overseas titles have become widely accepted, there\u2019s no more need to specifically refer to them as y\u014dge\u201d \u2013 y\u014dge being the Japanese term for \u201cWestern games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given that many video game titles nowadays are made with a global release in mind from the get-go, and that overseas games have become more accessible than ever, it seems like Square Enix doesn\u2019t see the need to maintain a dedicated label for Western games and give them \u201cspecial treatment\u201d in the current industry landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While an exact date of closure hasn\u2019t been given, Square Enix said it would gradually cease social media activities following the announcement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SQUARE ENIX EXTREME edges brought multiple famous Western series to Japan, including Call of Duty, Tomb Raider and Life is Strange.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":69489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-07-10T09:28:40+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mqbtivfma324","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mqbtivfma324\",\"cid\":\"bafyreibyjuq5i26btnvma4pg422cm2ltvcyezjlgpb4andqzholkcdjnqe\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreiex2ygi4nyf53pcob4q7drume2ulp5fpxpkvjz7w2vuc7niu65uia\",\"rev\":\"3mqbtivfr4d24\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-69483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - 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