Square Enix is pivoting back toward its roots, announcing a renewed focus on turn-based RPGs following the overwhelmingly positive reception to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The news comes as the company recalibrates its development strategy to emphasize quality, player expectations, and genre diversity after a series of mixed releases and internal restructuring.
During a recent investor meeting and subsequent public statement, Square Enix acknowledged the surge in interest for traditional role-playing experiences. While not developed internally, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a turn-based RPG being published under Square Enix Collective has served as a litmus test for what modern audiences want: stylish visuals, tactical combat, and strong narrative depth rooted in a classic structure.
A Shift in Philosophy
Square Enix’s decision marks a philosophical shift. For much of the past decade, the company experimented with real-time combat systems across its flagship franchises, particularly Final Fantasy. Although titles like Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy XVI had strong global sales, feedback from long-time fans often centred around a longing for the company’s golden age of turn-based design seen in classics like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Dragon Quest.
With the rising success of indie and AA turn-based games like Octopath Traveler, Sea of Stars, and now Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Square Enix seems to be taking notes. The publisher confirmed it is exploring more projects that prioritize turn-based systems, layered tactics, and RPG storytelling, promising a return to form without sacrificing innovation.
Unveiled during the Xbox Games Showcase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has captured public imagination with its haunting art style, painterly French-inspired world, and time-loop premise. Developed by Sandfall Interactive and scheduled for a 2025 release, the game combines the grandeur of Final Fantasy X with the experimental edge of NieR: Automata, all within a turn-based combat framework.
Despite not being an in-house project, Square Enix has embraced the game as a symbol of what the turn-based genre can still achieve in the modern age. Early metrics, including social engagement and wishlist numbers, have prompted the publisher to consider similar titles as part of its future portfolio.
What Comes Next
Square Enix is reportedly greenlighting several projects that lean into turn-based mechanics, with both legacy franchises and new IPs on the table. Fans have already begun speculating whether this could result in a true Final Fantasy Tactics revival, or spiritual successors to older turn-based JRPGs that the company shelved in favor of action-oriented systems.
In a prepared statement, a Square Enix spokesperson said:
“We’ve heard the fans loud and clear. Turn-based RPGs remain a vital part of our DNA, and we are committed to delivering experiences that honor that heritage while pushing the genre forward.”
With Dragon Quest XII still in development and speculation swirling around what direction future Final Fantasy games will take, Square Enix’s public recognition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could mark the beginning of a new golden era one that blends nostalgia with modernity, and action with strategy.
For RPG enthusiasts craving meaningful mechanics and deep, story-driven combat, the future looks increasingly turn-based.
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