Mass layoffs hit Square Enix hours after it shares plans to have AI handle "70%" of its quality assurance and debugging soon

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Square Enix also revealed plans to shift development to Japan

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth hero Cloud shown against purple light
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Layoffs have hit Square Enix in the US and UK, with upwards of 100 employees reportedly impacted.

Several laid-off employees confirmed the news on social media. I reached out to Square Enix for comment and clarification, and received the following reply from a company spokesperson:

"This was an extremely difficult decision, made following careful consideration and analysis by our leadership, in order to best position the Group’s long-term growth.

Square Enix has historically been vocal about investing in AI – CEO Takashi Kiryu said last year he wants the company to be "aggressive" with the technology – so this comes as no great surprise, but today's one-two punch of AI and layoffs has nevertheless stoked scrutiny at a time where the games industry is, by and large, grappling with exactly these two issues.

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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