Tatsuya Kando, who worked as the director of several of The World Ends with You games and supervised several Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy games announced that he has left Square Enix after 29 years. He announced this on his Twitter account. NEO: The World Ends with You first launched on July 27, 2021, for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, and on Epic Games Store on September 28, 2021.
私事ですが、5月31日をもって、株式会社スクウェア・エニックスを退職しました。
在籍した29年間、「ファイナルファンタジー」「キングダム ハーツ」「すばらしきこのせかい」などなどなど。。。たくさんのプロジェクトに関わらせていただき、かけがえのない経験を積むことができました。
— 神藤 辰也 (@tatsuyakando) June 1, 2025
The fully translated message via Gematsu can be seen below:
“This is a personal matter, but as of May 31, I have left Square Enix. Over the past 29 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on many projects, including Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and The World Ends with You, and the experiences I’ve gained are irreplaceable.
The support from everyone who played the games has been incredibly encouraging, and it served as a driving force that pushed me forward in development every day. I’m deeply grateful. Thank you so much!
Going forward, I will continue doing my best to create enjoyable content that brings smiles to everyone’s faces.”
NEO: The World Ends with You details:
“Only the possibility of you can change our fate.”
A long-awaited new story in The World Ends with You series has finally arrived!
Rindo comes to the grim realization that his life is on the line when he is forced to compete in the so-called “Reapers’ Game.”
There’s no telling how this tale will unfold—but it’s up to you to find out! Put your psychic prowess to the test as you duke it out on the stylishly animated streets of Shibuya.
Story
It was just an ordinary day in Shibuya—or so Rindo thought, until he comes into possession of a mysterious pin and gets wrapped up in the so-called “Reapers’ Game”…
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