Square Enix Says More Games Like Octopath Traveler Coming

Octopath Traveler is a hit for Square Enix, and the company has indicated it plans to publish more games like it. In a series of tweets, Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki outlined a Square Enix earnings conference at which it discussed the game's success and future plans.

The company says the sales have been stronger than its forecast, and exceeded expectations particularly in the west. It chalks all this up to an increased appreciation for JRPG tropes over the last few years, the appeal to old-school fans, and new elements like its striking diorama visual style. The company went on to say we can expect similar games to be coming.

It also noted the Nintendo Switch as a good platform for "middle-range" games, but said that future games wouldn't necessarily be Switch-exclusive like Octopath. The company could be referring to mid-range games similar to this one, or it could be referring to games that mix classic JRPG elements with updated features.

This isn't the first time Square Enix has attempted to recapture the magic of its old-school RPGs, though. Tokyo RPG Factory was a studio established specifically to explore these concepts, resulting in I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear. Those two received only middling receptions.

Octopath Traveler came from a different angle, though. It's from the producers of Bravely Default and Bravely Second, a series known for updating classic tropes in modern ways. That appears to have made the difference. The Bravely social media account recently recognized the connection by using a banner celebrating the sales of Octopath to hint at some kind of Bravely announcement.