Square Enix has announced the closure of the Japanese versions of Dragon Quest of the Stars and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius on October 31, 2025. This wasn't unexpected for players: the global servers of Dragon Quest of the Stars ceased operations on June 30, 2021, and the Western version of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius on October 30, 2024.
At Gumi, the studio that developed Brave Exvius, employees were offered voluntary resignation a year ago. Despite planned in-game events, the cancellation of projects reduces the list of Square Enix's mobile service games, of which only two operate in the West.
Both games lasted 10 years. The "Grand Finale Campaign" update will be the last for Brave Exvius, while Dragon Quest of the Stars will celebrate its anniversary event before closing. After the servers close, Square Enix will release a Memorial Edition of Brave Exvius, where players can view collected units and cards. Dragon Quest users will be refunded for unused currency.
After October, Square Enix will have nine mobile projects remaining:
- Sengoku IXA — an online strategy game featuring heroes from Japanese wars (2010).
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper — a gacha RPG with characters from the Final Fantasy series (2014).
- War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius — a tactical spin-off of Brave Exvius (2019).
- Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis — a retelling of the original with a young Sephiroth (2023).
- Dragon Quest Tact — a strategic RPG with events and a main storyline (2020).
- Dragon Quest Walk — a Pokémon Go-style RPG, available only in Japan (2019).
- Romancing SaGa Re: Universe — a JRPG, set 300 years after SaGa 3 (2018).
- Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent — a prequel to the first part with combat for 8 heroes (2020).
- Emberstoria — a strategy game about humanity's battle with monsters (2024).
Of these, only Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis and Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent are available globally. All projects contain RPG elements.
Square Enix is actively scaling back its mobile division: previously, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, Nier Reincarnation, Echoes of Mana were closed, and the development of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was canceled. The company seems to be concentrating on games with high player retention.
