Square Enix recently hosted a major Dragon Quest presentation where it revealed a number of its upcoming projects, including Dragon Quest 12 and an offline version of Dragon Quest 10. Even though Square Enix revealed numerous upcoming projects during that particular presentation, though, it seems as though the publisher still has some big reveals to make in the weeks ahead.
Square Enix has confirmed that it will be at E3 2021 next month, which is set to take place from June 12 to June 15. Square Enix hasn't specified exactly when it will be showing off its games at E3, and it also hasn't specified which games will be featured. However, recent leaks and rumors may have revealed the company's plans ahead of schedule.
In particular, there have been two big leaks about potential upcoming Square Enix games that could very well be featured at E3 2021. Both these games will likely be positioned as tentpole titles that Square Enix will promote heavily, though fans should take claims about them with a grain of salt for now.
Final Fantasy Origin
There's no denying that the Dark Souls franchise has had a profound impact on the video game industry, essentially creating its own genre of game and inspiring numerous copycats. It seems as though Square Enix may be throwing its hat in the Soulslike ring soon, as a big rumor has pointed to the company having a Soulslike Final Fantasy game in the works, with it apparently set to be announced at E3 2021 in a couple of weeks.
Square Enix will have a presence at E3, though it has not confirmed any dates for a press conference. Regardless, if the rumors are to be believed, one of the big announcements that Square Enix has in store for fans is Final Fantasy Origin, a Soulslike game set in the Final Fantasy universe. Apparently, Square Enix has recruited Team Ninja to work on the project, which makes sense considering the studio's success with its own Soulslike series, Nioh.
Reports indicate that Final Fantasy Origin, if it does exist, will be a bit more accessible than most other Soulslike games. Since Final Fantasy is one of Square Enix's biggest franchises, it's not all that surprising that the company may want the brutal difficulty the genre is known for toned down a bit broaden its appeal. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but fans should find out come E3.
Besides learning more about Final Fantasy Origin's gameplay, fans will also likely learn more details about the game. If the rumors are to be believed, Final Fantasy Origin is set to be a PlayStation 5 timed exclusive game, following in the footsteps of the previously announced Final Fantasy 16. Eventually, Final Fantasy Origin is said to be making its way to PC, though there has been no word on it coming to other consoles, like the Xbox Series X, for instance.
Another rumor surrounding the game is that it will be a spin-off of the very first Final Fantasy game and set in that same world. While Square Enix has released numerous games tied to some of its later Final Fantasy games, it has generally stayed away from the older titles in the series. This could result in some very interesting storytelling developments, so Final Fantasy fans should stay tuned to learn more.
Guardians of the Galaxy
It's no secret that Marvel's Avengers hasn't exactly been a hit for Square Enix. In fact, Marvel's Avengers has cost Square Enix millions of dollars, as the live service game hasn't taken off nearly as well as it was expected to. There are hopes that Crystal Dynamics can still salvage Marvel's Avengers through content like the upcoming Black Panther expansion and other updates, though it remains to be seen if it will be enough to bring back lapsed players or draw in new ones.
Despite Square Enix's struggles with Marvel's Avengers, one big leak suggests that the company is not done with making Marvel Comics video games just yet. According to industry insider Jeff Grubb, Square Enix has a Guardians of the Galaxy video game in active development. Grubb stopped short of providing more specifics on what the game will be about or who is developing it exactly, but he did say that he is interested in seeing how people react to it. This implies that Grubb may know quite a bit about the game, which in turn could suggest that a reveal is happening sooner than expected.
With E3 2021 set to take place from June 12 to June 15, the assumption that many might have is that the leaked Guardians of the Galaxy game will be at the show. After all, Square Enix surely can't rely solely on Final Fantasy Origin to fill up its time at E3, and a Guardians of the Galaxy game would likely generate quite a bit of buzz. However, Grubb doesn't know if the Guardians of the Galaxy game will actually be at E3 or not.
While Grubb did confirm that the leaked Guardians of the Galaxy game is apparently real, it seems as though fans should reign in their expectations about seeing it at E3. It could still very well be at the event, but it may be better if people don't get their hopes up just yet.