The World Ends with You Director Tatsuya Kando Quits Square Enix Amid Creative Shift
Discover Kando’s 29-year journey in Final, Kingdom Hearts, and other iconic gaming franchises.
Tatsuya Kando Departs Square Enix After 29 Years
© Animate
A Legendary Career Comes to a Close
Game developer Tatsuya Kando announced on X (formerly Twitter) Sunday that he has left Square Enix after nearly three decades with the company. Kando assured fans that he plans to continue creating engaging and uplifting content in the future.
Key Contributions
During his 29-year tenure at Square Enix, Kando worked on some of the studio's most celebrated franchises:
- Director of the original The World Ends with You game for the Nintendo DS
- Series Director for The World Ends with You franchise
- Contributor to iconic series such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts
- Supervisor for the anime adaptation of The World Ends with You
- Kingdom Team Member for the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
The World Ends with You Legacy
Kando played an instrumental role in expanding the The World Ends with You universe. The sequel, NEO: The World Ends with You (Shin Subarashii Kono Sekai), launched on PS4 and Nintendo Switch in English and Japanese in July 2022. Later, it also became available for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
- The World Ends with You Anime: 3rd Video Previews Ending Song
- NEO: The World Ends with You New Trailer, Release Details
- NEO: The World Ends with You Steam Release
- PC Version Launch Details
Looking Forward
While Tatsuya Kando’s time at Square Enix has ended, his influence on the gaming world remains strong. Fans can look forward to new creative projects from him in the coming years.
Source: Tatsuya Kando's X/Twitter account via Hachima Kikō