Yuji Naka Seems to Have Left Square Enix After Balan Wonderworld’s Disappointing Reception

Yuji Naka, one of the co-creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, updated his LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to show he is no longer with the company.

Posted By | On 04th, Jun. 2021

Balan Wonderworld_02

Balan Wonderworld was something of a disappointment both critically and commercially, and it appears that disappointment has caused director Yuji Naka to leave Square Enix. Naka is probably best known for his time at Sega, where he was one of the co-creators of Sonic the Hedgehog and served as a programmer and producer on several games.

The news of his departure comes via Naka’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages, which were recently updated to show that he had departed Square Enix on April 30th. The updates were first spotted and translated by VGChronicle. Square Enix has not officially confirmed Naka’s departure.

Naka formed Balan Company, an internal studio at Square Enix composed of several veteran developers including Naoto Ohshima, the artist who created the original designs for Sonic the Hedgehog, to develop the game. It is not clear what Naka’s departure would mean for the studio or any of its staff members.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Keep On Reading!

Manor Lords Has Sold Over 3 Million Units

Manor Lords Has Sold Over 3 Million Units

Available on PC in early access since April of last year, Slavic Magic and Hooded Horse's strategy title has h...

Civilization 7 is Working on UI Improvements, Community-Requested Features, and QoL Fixes Based on Fan Feedback

Civilization 7 is Working on UI Improvements, Community-Requested Features, and QoL Fixes Based on Fan Feedback

"We will support Civilization VII for years to come, and your feedback remains critical in helping us grow and...

Dungeons of Hinterberg is Coming to PlayStation on March 13

Dungeons of Hinterberg is Coming to PlayStation on March 13

Microbird Games and Curve Games' social sim action RPG launched last July for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, a...

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Reveals New Details With Lore Trailer

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Reveals New Details With Lore Trailer

Lenzee Games and 505 Games' Soulslike action RPG is expected to launch sometime this year for PlayStation 5, X...

Rocksteady’s New Batman Title is Years Away – Rumor

Rocksteady’s New Batman Title is Years Away – Rumor

Rockstar is allegedly returning to single-player titles and the Batman franchise after Suicide Squad: Kill the...

Gothic Remake Developers Discuss Experiences With the Original in New Video

Gothic Remake Developers Discuss Experiences With the Original in New Video

The video features developers from all parts of the studio talking about what made the original Gothic special...