Square Enix Is Pushing Hard for AI in Game Development, Planning to Let It Handle 70% of QA by 2027
Square Enix has officially joined the growing list of major publishers integrating artificial intelligence into core game development processes, revealing an ambitious plan to automate 70% of its QA and debugging operations by 2027.
According to the company’s latest Progress Report on its Medium-Term Business Plan, this initiative marks a key pillar of Square Enix’s broader strategy to strengthen efficiency and maintain global competitiveness. The company is collaborating with the Matsu Laboratory at the University of Tokyo to research how AI can streamline time-intensive development tasks without compromising quality.
This joint research effort aims to “improve the efficiency of QA operations and establish a competitive advantage in game development,” Square Enix explained in the report. The project team currently includes over ten specialists, comprising researchers from the Matsu-Iwasawa Laboratory and Square Enix engineers. The publisher expects AI-driven automation to drastically reduce human workload in testing, debugging, and performance verification, enabling development teams to focus on creativity and innovation.
While this represents a significant technological leap for Square Enix, it also follows a controversial industry trend. Other major publishers have already begun incorporating AI in similar workflows. For instance, Electronic Arts (EA) was reported to have used AI for QA analysis earlier this year, resulting in layoffs of more than 100 QA staff at Respawn Entertainment. The AI tools were reportedly deployed to review and summarize playtester feedback, replacing much of the manual testing process previously conducted by human employees.
Square Enix’s approach, however, appears more methodical and research-driven, reflecting the broader Japanese game development philosophy of gradual adoption and refinement. This strategy echoes sentiments shared by industry veterans Masahiro Sakurai and Hideo Kojima, who both view AI as a potential tool for enhancing creativity rather than replacing it. Their stance emphasizes AI’s role in automating repetitive or time-consuming tasks, allowing human developers to focus on world-building, storytelling, and gameplay design.
As the gaming landscape evolves, Square Enix’s AI initiative could redefine how major publishers balance automation with artistry. If successful, this could become a cornerstone model for the next generation of large-scale game production, blending advanced AI infrastructure with Japan’s deep-rooted craftsmanship in game design.
Do you believe Square Enix’s AI integration will truly improve development efficiency, or will it risk devaluing the human touch that defines great game design? Let us know your thoughts below.
