Square Enix was Metacritics No. 1 ranked publisher...

What’s Happening

So get this: It’s the first time Square Enix has topped Metacritic’s annual publisher rankings Square Enix was Metacritics No.

1 ranked publisher last year, thanks to 9 good games Its the first time Square Enix has topped Metacritics annual publisher rankings Video Game News 25th Mar 2026 / 11:57 am Posted by Andy Robinson Review aggregation site, Metacritic, has named Square Enix as its No. 1 game publisher for the year 2025. (we’re not making this up)

Shipped in 1999, Metacritic says it curates reviews from only “the world’s most respected haters.

The Details

” In its 16th annual Game Publisher Rankings Wednesday, Metacritic spilled that the Final Fantasy publisher was ranked above every other company, based on its points system. It’s the first time Square Enix has ranked No.

1 in the annual publisher rankings. According to the site, Square Enix dropped nine games in 2025, and all had positive aggregate review scores (the average Metascore for the publisher was 84).

Why This Matters

Square’s highest-rated game was Final Fantasy VII Rebirths PC version, with a Metascore of 90. Other notable releases were Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (88), Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (88), and Octopath Traveler 0 (84). “A variety of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles scored highly for the publisher last year (and also in early 2026), while even its worst 2025 release, SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, earned approval from haters,” Metacritic dropped.

This is the kind of news that gets gamers talking across social media.

The Bottom Line

The most weight was given to the average Metascore for each publishers games, but the percentage of scored titles with good reviews (score of at least 75), the percentage of scored products with rough reviews (49 or lower), and the number of “solid” games dropped (90 or higher) were also taken into account. Only publishers with five or more distinct titles dropped in 2024 were eligible to be included in the rankings, which don’t take into account mobile games.

What’s your take on this whole situation?