Former Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata has announced a new international collaboration between his company, JP UNIVERSE, and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment. The partnership, established on September 24, aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative and aims to develop original games designed for the global market.
In a statement shared via Facebook, Tabata confirmed that JP UNIVERSE had formally entered into this agreement, emphasizing his optimism for the venture’s potential. “JP UNIVERSE, where I serve as representative, entered into a business partnership with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment on September 24. As part of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, we plan to develop original games for the global market,” he stated. Tabata further expressed his confidence in the partnership, remarking, “Large-scale game projects are a constant struggle, but I expect them to be serious partners we can work with.”
As part of this collaboration, a new studio named SA GAMES has been founded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a key step in JP UNIVERSE’s expansion efforts. Preparations for the studio’s first project are currently underway. Tabata extended gratitude to several organizations, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), JETRO, the Middle East Cooperation Center, and the Embassy of Japan in Saudi Arabia, for their support in making the initiative possible.
Tabata is best known for his tenure at Square Enix, where he served as the head of Business Division 2 and was part of the Final Fantasy Committee, responsible for maintaining consistency across the franchise. He directed Final Fantasy XV before resigning from both Luminous Productions and Square Enix in October 2018 to pursue independent ventures.
His company, JP UNIVERSE, has been expanding steadily since its establishment. In late 2023, the group raised approximately 1.6 billion yen in Series A funding from major investors, including Toppan Digital Inc., Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Innovation Frontier Co., Ltd. The funds were allocated to enhance development of its proprietary gamification platform PWK UNIVERSE, game commerce system RYUGUKOKU, and digital ID wallet MULTI MAGIC PASSPORT, all designed to bridge real and virtual spaces.
Commenting on the investment at the time, Tabata said, “With Series A, we have incorporated the technology and experience we have gained over many years of RPG development into our RPG/Metaverse development middleware, PEGASUS WORLD KIT (PWK), which we now offer to companies.” He added that the group would continue to promote initiatives that make “the world more fun and creative with the power of games.”
JP UNIVERSE currently operates three main subsidiaries: JP GAMES, a studio specializing in RPG development; JP UNIVERSE Inc., a provider of gamification solutions; and LOGSYS Inc., a company focused on integrating real-world experiences with digital identity systems. Together, these companies are positioned to form the backbone of the group’s ongoing mission to merge creativity, technology, and global collaboration.
