Square Enix has released its financial results for the nine-month period ending December 31, 2021, and it looks like last year was a good one for the Japanese publisher. Revenue and profits both rose–apparently thanks to the continued success of Final Fantasy XIV.
During this period in 2021, Square Enix earned 273.6 billion yen (about $2.4 billion) in the last financial period, an increase of 7.8 percent from the 253.6 billion yen it earned in the same period in 2020. Operating income rose 21 percent from 41 billion yen to 50.1 billion yen.
There is some nuance to those increasing numbers. Square Enix informed investors that the company’s digital entertainment division saw gains in the MMO sub-segment, but decreases in the “HD Game” sub-segment.
The latter sub-segment develops and publishes games like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Outriders, and Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…. Last year, that division had released Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel’s Avengers. Square Enix indicated that 2020’s titles sold better than the games relased in 2021.
Good thing for Square Enix then that it publishes the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. It reported that sales of the new expansion Endwalker and an absolutely massive increase in monthly subscribers meant that division saw an increase of revenue year-over-year.
(You might recall that sales for the game were so strong Square Enix had to pause new subscriptions while it worked to handle the server load.
Net sales for the Digital Entertainment Division clocked in at 211,662 million yen, while operating income for the group was 49,425 million yen.