# Square Enix denies it’s going private following Japanese reports to the contrary

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/square-enix-denies-its-going-private-following-japanese-reports-to-the-contrary/
- Published: 2026-09-02T20:37:08+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-03T02:42:51+00:00
- Original publisher: Eurogamer
- Original article: https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-denies-going-private-report
- Topics: Art, Asia, Culture, Entertainment, Gaming, Software, Technology

## Key points

- Square Enix denied claims it was planning to go private
- Denial followed a Sentaku report that boosted its share price sharply
- Major shareholder 3D Investment Partners likely fuelled the speculation

## Summary

Square Enix, the Japanese publisher behind Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Dragon Quest, publicly denied it was planning to go private, after a report in Japanese business magazine Sentaku claimed the company was exploring the move with support from foreign investment funds. The report sent Square Enix's Tokyo Stock Exchange shares up by between seven and 12 per cent in a single day, prompting the company to state that the information "was not announced by the Company" and that "no consideration is currently being given" to a privatisation.

The speculation was believed to stem partly from 3D Investment Partners, which holds around 18.5 per cent of Square Enix's shares and had previously urged the board to reconsider its strategy. The denial capped several years of restructuring at Square Enix, including the 2022 sale of Western studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal to Embracer Group, and a 2025 round of layoffs affecting over 100 staff across the US and UK as the firm consolidated development in Japan. Commentators noted that any future privatisation would require a buyer to purchase back all outstanding shares at a premium, as seen with Saudi Arabia's PIF-led buyout of EA, which left that publisher with substantial debt.

## Coverage

- [Eurogamer: Square Enix denies it’s going private following Japanese reports to the contrary](https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-denies-going-private-report)
- [Push Square: Square Enix Denies Rumours of Being Bought Out](https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/09/square-enix-denies-rumours-of-being-bought-out)
- [IGN: Final Fantasy Maker Square Enix Denies Rumors That It's Going Private](https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-maker-square-enix-denies-rumors-that-its-going-private)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.