Square Enix says it still ‘recommends Balan Wonderworld with confidence’ following Naka lawsuit
Square Enix has issued a firm rebuttal to comments from the game’s former director Yuji Naka, who has been heavily critical of the publisher for releasing the game in what he believes was an unfinished state.
Sonic creator Naka recently claimed he was removed as Balan Wonderworld’s director six months before the heavily criticised game’s release, resulting in him suing Square Enix.
In an explosive series of tweets published in late April (and translated in full here), Naka said he thought “it is a true disgrace that Balan Wonderworld was released in the state that it was in”.
He went on to add: “I believe that Square Enix and [co-developer] Arzest are companies that care about neither games nor their fans.”
Naka said he was finally able to address his departure from Square Enix and the game’s reception because his lawsuit with Square Enix had concluded.
During Square Enix’s full-year earnings call on Friday, the company confirmed it had been involved in a lawsuit with Naka but declined to comment further, according to Bloomberg reporter Takashi Mochizuki.
However, it did defend Balan Wonderworld, saying “it is a game that we recommend with confidence.”
Balan Wonderworld was released in March 2021 to overwhelmingly negative reviews, with the game’s Metacritic score ranging from 36 to 51. Commercially, the title is thought to have been equally disappointing.
Naka had formed a new studio within Square, Balan Company, for the creation of Wonderworld, which was comprised of a collection of veteran developers including Naoto Ohshima, the artist who created the original designs for Sonic the Hedgehog.
Shortly after the game’s announcement in the summer of 2020, Naka claimed Balan Wonderworld was his “one chance” to create a new platform
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