Square Enix teases action game reveal for tomorrow

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Balan Company, a new development studio under Square Enix, will reveal a new action game this week.

The website for the studio was recently updated with a teaser for 10am PT / 1pm ET tomorrow, Thursday, July 23. That's just one hour after the start of the upcoming Xbox Series X games showcase, so we're expecting to see the Balan Company's debut title as part of Microsoft's show, perhaps as a post-show announcement. It's hard to imagine Square Enix would push a standalone announcement for a new studio's first game on a day where Xbox will inevitably dominate the news cycle.

Other than the circus-like atmosphere of the Balan Company's website, we don't really have any clues as to what the studio has in store, and even that may just be unrelated set-dressing. The "company" in the studio's name refers to a group of performers rather than a business collective, so the Cirque du Soleil branding might just be their thing. And their website teaser simply reads: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show of wonders brought to you by the Balan Company. We thank you for your patience while we make preparations for the grand opening."

We do know it's an action game, though, since the Japanese Square Enix events Twitter specifically referred to Balan Company as "a new action game brand" (per Google Translate). Granted, an "action game" could be anything from a 2D action-platformer to a third-person brawler, so there's no telling what we'll see. 

It's safe to assume that the Balan Company's new game will be a cross-gen or next-gen release, and it wouldn't be Square Enix's first next-gen announcement: it announced Project Athia (working title) earlier this year. 

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

Latest in Games
The titular Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2
Devil May Cry and Bayonetta veteran Hideki Kamiya is still leaning on Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's wisdom at new studio Clovers: "I have always made decisions based on his teachings"
Palworld
As Palworld studio's publishing branch teases new reveals, its head is "nervous" that "people will just expect more" games like its survival hit
inZOI Character Studio screenshot showing a young woman with short black/pink hair, black cat-like ears, and a black blouse with a bowtie
The creator of upcoming life sim Inzoi says he was "recklessly brave to even think about creating a game of this scale"
Rise of the Ronin
A year after its PS5 launch, Rise of the Ronin debuts on PC to "Mixed" reviews and performance complaints: "Stuttering on a 4090 is just... no"
Rise of the Ronin's photo mode offers some wonderful shots
On the heels of Rise of the Ronin's PC launch, its director says there's a "significant" amount of Japanese Switch gamers: "I am closely watching how this will change with the release of Switch 2"
Stardew Valley Castle Village mod
Stardew Valley Expanded creator is building an "even more ambitious" mod with a whole new city and "dungeons inspired by The Legend of Zelda"
Latest in News
Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics
The Russo brothers say Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will draw inspiration from multiple comics – which explains how Doctor Doom might fit into the story
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel fans think that Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 just referenced Spider-Man's Miles Morales – but a key detail might have already debunked the theory
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again fans are reeling at episode 3's "brutal" ending: "It made me gasp in shock"
The titular Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2
Devil May Cry and Bayonetta veteran Hideki Kamiya is still leaning on Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's wisdom at new studio Clovers: "I have always made decisions based on his teachings"
Daredevil's mask in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again's end credits just paid a perfect tribute to episode 3's slain character
John Wick 4
John Wick 5 is still in the works, but Lionsgate isn't confirming Keanu Reeves' return just yet: "We're all on bated breath waiting to find out"