Square Enix denies plans to go private after report sends stock surging

• A Sentaku report resulted in Square Enix’s stock price rising.
• Square Enix has denied plans to privatise.

Square Enix has denied reports that it is considering taking the company private after a Japanese business magazine claimed the publisher had drawn interest from foreign investment funds.

As reported by GameBiz, the September 2026 issue of Sentaku found that speculation around a potential privatisation had gained credibility compared with previous rumours. 

The report was influential enough to send Square Enix’s stock price higher on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. From ¥2,729 ($17.40) one month ago on August 3rd, prices rose to a peak of ¥3,161 ($20.21) on September 1st, at their highest since 2025.

Square Enix responded on September 1st, stating that the information about privatisation had not come from the company. Share prices have since fallen to ¥2,914 ($18.63) as of today.

“The September issue of the monthly magazine Sentaku carried a report regarding the possibility of Square Enix Holdings Co., LTD. (the 'Company') going private,” Square Enix said in a statement. 

“However, this information was not announced by the Company. No consideration is currently being given within the Company to taking the Company private.”

Recent restructuring

The denial comes after four years of restructuring at Square Enix. In 2022, the publisher sold its Western studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal to Embracer Group.

Square Enix subsequently laid off more than 100 staff across the US and UK in 2025 as part of a strategy to consolidate development in Japan.

The publisher has also continued to invest outside its traditional development operations, including an investment in Brazilian games platform Nuuvem to launch SpawnD.

The latest claims come amid increased activity around major games companies going private, such as Electronic Arts recently being acquired by a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and becoming a private company.