Going, going, gone: Square Enix's Go series is no more

After four years and three games, Square Enix Montreal head Patrick Naud confirmed that his studio will not make new entries in its Go series.

In an interview with PocketGamer, Naud attributed the decision to a diminishing premium mobile games market. According to Naud, the prices of the Go games led to them being played by a “small slither of the population.”

“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 slither of the population because of the price point,” said Naud. “That’s such a big barrier for mobile users.”

Naud went on to say that, due to the numerous and varied options in the market, mobile users question whether even spending $5 on a game is too much. As a result, Square Enix Montreal found it increasingly difficult to see success in the premium mobile games market.

It’s a rational decision, but also a decision that will sadden Go fans. The Go series presented Square Enix franchises like Hitman, Lara Croft, and Deus Ex as board game-inspired mobile titles. Players were generally tasked with moving from one side of the grid-based board to the other, though the mechanics differed across titles.

Hitman Go kicked off the series in April 2014 and surprised folks with how well a series like Hitman translated to a grid. Lara Croft Go and Deus Ex Go followed in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with all three games initially launching for $5.

Even though the Go series is dead, Square Enix Montreal will continue to work on mobile games. Some of those games might include known Square Enix properties, though Naud did not go into specifics.

If you want to give any of the Go games a try, they are currently on sale on the Play Store for $1 each. Hitman Sniper, another Square Enix Montreal mobile title, is also available for $1. You can download the games at the links below.