Square Enix Invests in Betadwarf for Vaultbreakers

Square Enix is backing Danish indie studio Betadwarf to accelerate development of their upcoming action-RPG, Vaultbreakers, signaling a renewed focus on Western collaborations. The publisher aims to discover a new international hit through this partnership.

Strategic Shift

This move is notable, especially considering Square Enix’s 2022 sale of Western studios like Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montréal to Embracer for $300 million. At the time, the company suggested those studios were undermining the sales of other titles.

Since then, the company has emphasized Japanese franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts, though they recently acknowledged that Final Fantasy‘s performance has been below expectations. Despite this, Square Enix has continued to dabble in western game releases.

Western Ventures Continue

The publisher’s interest in the Western market hasn’t disappeared entirely. PowerWash Simulator, an indie hit published through Square Enix Collective, proved successful. Last year also saw the release of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, developed by Deck Nine. During Summer Game Fest, Killer Inn, an online multiplayer game by Tactic Studios, was announced under the Square Enix banner.

Now, the publisher is expanding its reach with a direct investment in Betadwarf. According to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), Canada’s video game industry contributed $5.5 billion to the country’s GDP in 2021, demonstrating the region’s significance in the global gaming landscape ESAC 2022.

Vaultbreakers: A Closer Look

Vaultbreakers is described as a vibrant, top-down action-RPG reminiscent of Diablo, but with a more lighthearted feel. Players can play solo or team up in PVE or PVPVE modes. The beta test is currently underway, though a release date hasn’t been set.

Enthusiastic Support

According to Hideaki Uehara, head of business development at Square Enix, he was immediately captivated when he played Vaultbreakers: “The experience of playing together and discovering the game world appealed to me enormously. After visiting Betadwarf and conversations with the team, we knew we wanted to support them in realizing their dream.”

A “Dream Combination”

Steffen Kabbelgaard, CEO of Betadwarf, hails the collaboration as “a dream combination of knowledge, talent and resources”. He says that the game is well into production, with over 15 test phases and 50,000 players providing feedback, adding “This support comes exactly at the right time. We already have the basics firmly, and this feels like a chance of a real home run.”