Square Enix, the renowned developer behind iconic franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, has forged a strategic partnership with Animoca Brands, a prominent metaverse investment firm and crypto game publisher. This collaboration marks a significant step towards expanding Animoca's Ethereum NFT game, Symbiogenesis, to a broader global audience.

Under this agreement, Animoca Brands Japan, a newly established subsidiary, will join forces with Square Enix to drive the game's outreach efforts. These initiatives include combined marketing campaigns and collaborations with over 400 projects within Animoca's extensive portfolio.

Symbiogenesis, launched in December, immerses players in a narrative adventure set in a futuristic, polluted Earth. Against the backdrop of a fantastical dragon threat, players navigate a "floating continent," populated by 10,000 Ethereum NFT characters and a plethora of in-game NFTs minted on the Ethereum scaling network Polygon.

The upcoming NFT launchpad by Animoca Brands Japan, slated for a summer debut, will feature Symbiogenesis and support for both Ethereum and Polygon networks. Naoyuki Tamate, producer of Symbiogenesis, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, envisioning a seamless integration of the Web3 experience for a broader audience.

This partnership isn't Square Enix's first foray into the crypto gaming realm. In 2022, the company announced plans to bring its Dungeon Siege franchise to The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game under Animoca Brands' umbrella. Moreover, Square Enix's involvement in the NFT space dates back to its 2020 investment in NFT gaming projects, further solidifying its commitment to blockchain technology.

In addition to its ventures with Animoca, Square Enix has actively explored various avenues in the crypto sphere. Notably, the company introduced Final Fantasy VII NFTs via the Efinity network on Polygon, and invested in Zebedee, a Bitcoin-centric gaming and payments platform catering to play-to-earn games.

Recently, Square Enix expanded its crypto portfolio with investments in HyperPlay and Elixir Games, two crypto-native PC gaming launcher apps. Notably, Symbiogenesis was released via HyperPlay, indicating Square Enix's strategic alignment with emerging trends in the crypto gaming landscape.