Forspoken Dev Luminous Productions Is Getting Merged Into Square Enix

Square Enix is absorbing Forspoken dev Luminous Productions into the larger organization, effective May 1.

Luminous Productions released a statement addressing the merger, promising it'll remain "entirely focused" on Forspoken from now until May 1. Luminous said it will deliver previously announced patches, and the DLC, In Tanta We Trust, is still on track to release during the summer.

Luminous Productions is a subsidiary owned by Square Enix, formed in 2018 and is meant to "develop new AAA titles and bring innovative game and other entertainment content to a global audience," according to a Square Enix press release.

Square Enix said it's merging Luminous into the rest of the company as a "part of [Square Enix's] efforts to further bolster the competitive prowess of the Group’s development studios, a goal set forth under its current medium-term business strategy."

Luminous Productions launched its first title Forspoken on January 24, to a rather lukewarm critical reception. GameSpot rated the game 5/10 in its Forspoken Review. "Forspoken is a tricky game to recommend. The lore of its world is interesting but delivered in a stilted expository manner, and the freeing sensation of taking off across the landscape in a magically-propelled sprint is sullied by the knowledge that there's nowhere to go or anything fun to do," said critic Jordan Ramée. "Combat is visually impressive but not all that engaging, and the excellent sound design and the catchy musical score are regularly undermined by unfunny quips from an unlikable protagonist."