Square Enix Montreal abandons Go series, will continue work on mobile

For those wondering what Square Enix IP would be next to get the "Go" treatment of Hitman, Lara Croft, and Deux Ex Go, the answer is now "none of them." Square Enix Montreal will no longer be working on the Go franchise of mobile games.

In an interview with PCGamesInsider.biz, studio head Patrick Naud apologized for the decision to end the franchise, but said it was no longer profitable to continue.

"It's one of the challenges we have today is the premium mobile market is diminishing," Naud said. "You've got more and more high-quality free titles so there are even fewer and fewer people inclined to try something that will not be free.

"Despite the critical success and the great revenue we've had, it's sad to see that our games are only played by a small [sliver] of the population because of the price point. That's such a big barrier for mobile users. A lot of people consume mobile games only and they have all these options, all these games; why should they invest money in this one unless they're very convinced?"

Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go, and Deux Ex Go are mobile titles (the first two later released on PC and PS4) based on Square Enix IP that featured top-down, board game-like puzzles. The games cost $4.99 on iOS and Android but do not include ads or in-game purchases necessary for progression.

Naud said that Square Enix Montreal would continue to work on mobile games, some of which may include known IP.