Japanese publisher Square Enix has announced an ambitious target to have generative artificial intelligence handle 70 percent of its quality assurance and debugging operations by the end of 2027.
The commitment is part of the company’s medium-term business plan and includes a joint research initiative with the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. The goal of the project is to use automation technology to enhance the efficiency of game development processes and secure a competitive advantage in the industry. As part of this initiative, more than ten researchers and engineers from both organizations are working to develop tools that can analyse, test and debug game code with minimal human intervention.
While automation in QA has already been used in game development, the decision to target such a high percentage of tasks raises questions about the balance between AI systems, human testers and overall production quality.
For gamers across Southeast Asia the implications are significant because a shift toward AI driven QA may accelerate release cycles but also risk reducing human oversight on issues that matter locally such as regional optimization, localization bugs or cultural nuances in gameplay. The move comes alongside reports of layoffs in overseas studios and raises concerns about how jobs in QA and debugging roles may evolve as the technology advances. With industry interest in Gen AI growing rapidly thanks to major investment from other publishers, Square Enix’s strategy signals a broader pivot in how games may be built and maintained in the years to come.
THIS IS our take
If Square Enix truly automates 70 percent of its QA by 2027 it could reshape game development, but it also risks reducing depth in regional experience and cutting ties to human expertise. For gamers in Southeast Asia, the promise of smoother launches might come at the cost of personalized polish.
