Square was named after the shape of their building

A studio name shaped by its first home

Square’s name came from a literal feature of its surroundings: the studio was based in a square-shaped building in Shikoku, one of Japan’s main islands. Rather than referring to a game mechanic or a grand creative idea, the name pointed back to the place where the company was working.

From a building to a lasting label

That practical origin became the name attached to the studio behind Final Fantasy. The contrast is striking: a company later known worldwide for imaginative worlds began with a name rooted in an ordinary detail of its early workplace. The building’s shape traveled much farther than its address did.