Square Enix: Final Fantasy Agito 'will definitely be localized,' Western release unconfirmed

Final Fantasy Agito "will definitely be localized" for the West by publisher Square Enix, although there's no confirmation yet that it will actually be released in the West, said game director Hajime Tabata in an interview with USgamer.

Square Enix announced Final Fantasy Agito last week as a free-to-play game in development on iOS and Android. It's set in the same world as its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable game Final Fantasy Type-0 (image above), which was released in Japan in October 2011. Tabata told USgamer that much of Type-0 was localized into English and other European languages, but Square Enix decided against releasing the action role-playing game in the West for logistical reasons.

A representative for Square Enix explained to Polygon that at the time Type-0 was released, the company felt it would be a poor business decision to launch the game in the West because of the dwindling viability of the PSP in that region. So Square Enix decided to wait and see how the PlayStation Vita did, and put localization on hold because of the new handheld's lukewarm sales performance in North America and Europe so far. The rep said that Square Enix is now reevaluating whether it makes sense to release Type-0.

Tabata told USgamer that Agito "will definitely be localized." In addition, because Type-0 and Agito are so closely related in Tabata's view, he's still hoping that Square Enix will complete the localization of Type-0 so both games can eventually be released in the West.

"We are now more seriously considering and looking into the viability for the West," a rep told Polygon. But even if localization is completed, the games may not be released here.

"Localized and coming [to the West] are two different things," the rep added.

Final Fantasy Agito is scheduled to be released on iOS and Android this winter.

Alexa Ray Corriea contributed to this report.