Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix has launched legal action against a developer it had partnered with to make a new Front Mission game.
Front Mission, the company’s classic mecha battle franchise, was set to be revived by BlackJack Studio via a new game titled Front Mission 2089: Borderscape.
After two years of development, Square Enix cancelled the project in October 2024, and walked away from BlackJack Studio for reasons unknown. Shortly after, BlackJack Studio announced its own “Front Mission-style game”, known as Mecharashi.
Square Enix’s lawsuit (uncovered by Polygon) claims Mecharashi uses the work BlackJack Studio undertook for its own project. Indeed, Mecharashi’s own Steam page describes the game thus:
“Mecharashi is a mecha-themed tactical turn-based game. The game adopts a Front Mission-style combat system, where you can assemble mechas however you want, equip a wide selection of weapons, and choose your favorite pilots to engage in battle.”
Court documents filed by Square Enix include pages of screenshots comparing the unreleased Front Mission prototype made by BlackJack Studio and the developer’s new project. The similarities are obvious.
Square Enix is seeking $150k (£115k) in compensation for copyright infringement, and an immediate removal of the game’s listing from storefronts.
In the meantime, Mecharashi has already disappeared and reappeared from Steam as Square Enix and BlackJack Studio squabble over a DMCA notice.