Square Enix joins mobile games race

Square Enix has opened a new studio dedicated to the development of smartphone games.

The global publishing giant opened its new group, Hippos Lab, in Japan earlier this month.

The Final Fantasy owner is the latest ‘old guard’ group to acknowledge the industry’s dramatic shift to mobile gaming in recent years.

Square Enix said that the smartphone sector “will run away with the show”, though the claim wasn’t clarified.

Hippos Lab will release its first game soon, Square Enix said.

It is not known if the company will focus on new IP for mobile games, or instead will bring its famous franchises to Apple and Google devices.