There are certain game franchises that were “never going to be the biggest hits,” and yet, those who played them know just how amazing they were. One such franchise by Square Enix was The World Ends With You. This set of two games was the definition of “cult classic,” as they had an incredible visual style, gameplay vibe, unique characters, and a soundtrack to tie it all together. It started on the Nintendo DS and eventually came to modern platforms in its “Final Remix” form, before finally getting a sequel in 2021 (which you can read my review for here!).
…yet, it was never the biggest Square Enix hit, and now, with fans absolutely wanting more, the man behind the series, Tatsuya Kando, has revealed that he has left the company.
The World Ends With You Series Director Tatsuya Kando announced he has left Square Enix after 29 years.
He worked on various Final Fantasy and Kingdom hearts games over the years. https://t.co/LqiT9aPAt0 pic.twitter.com/oESr40KPJE
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) June 1, 2025
That…really hurts. It truly does. The World Ends With You and its “NEO” sequel are BEAUTIFUL titles that truly had a lot of heart and soul in them. Numerous games and companies can learn from the passion that the TWEWY team put into these titles. While this doesn’t mean that the franchise is dead, without the main man behind it, you have to wonder if there is a true path forward.
