Square Enix Named #1 Game Publisher of 2025 by Metacritic
Square Enix Crowned the #1 Game Publisher of 2025 by Metacritic
Metacritic has officially unveiled its 16th annual game publisher rankings as of March 25, 2026. The rankings are calculated using a points system based on four primary factors: the average Metascore of all games released by the company in that year, the percentage of scored games with good reviews (75+), the percentage of games with bad reviews (49 or lower), and the total number of “great” games (90+).
To qualify for this ranking, a publisher must have released five or more distinct titles during the year, explicitly excluding mobile games.
Top 10 Game Publishers of 2025
| Rank | Company | Points | Average Metascore | 2024 Rank |
| 1st | Square Enix | 330.5 | 84 | 6th |
| 2nd | Gamirror Games | 322.4 | 82 | 6th |
| 3rd | Capcom | 322.2 | 82 | 6th |
| 4th | Thunderful | 306.8 | 78 | Unranked |
| 5th | Microsoft | 305.7 | 80 | 9th |
| 6th | Take-Two | 304.0 | 79 | 12th |
| 7th | Sega | 303.9 | 80 | 1st |
| 8th | Electronic Arts | 302.9 | 79 | 23rd |
| 9th | Dotemu | 302.2 | 81 | Unranked |
| 10th | Raw Fury | 301.0 | 79 | 8th |
A Record-Breaking Year for Square Enix
According to the official statistics, Square Enix, the legendary powerhouse behind the Final Fantasy franchise, has successfully secured the number one spot above all other competitors. This marks the very first time Square Enix has claimed the top position on Metacritic’s annual list.
The data reveals that Square Enix published a total of 9 games in 2025, and remarkably, every single one received positive reviews, resulting in a stellar average Metascore of 84.
The company’s highest-rated game of the year was the PC version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which achieved a massive Metascore of 90. Other highly successful releases that contributed to this victory include:
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (88)
- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (88)
- Octopath Traveler 0 (84)
Metacritic noted that multiple entries from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises performed exceptionally well for the publisher over the past year. Even the company’s lowest-scoring release of 2025, SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, still maintained a positive reception from critics.
This is a massive achievement for Square Enix, allowing them to dethrone former champions like Sega, Capcom, Sony (who dropped to 21st place this year), and Microsoft.
(Source: Video Games Chronicle)
