Square Enix Bets Big on Denmark’s Vaultbreakers

Square Enix has just made a bold move that could shake up the RPG world—again. The publishing giant has officially announced its investment in a Danish indie developer, Dyncrest, best known for crafting the upcoming action RPG Vaultbreakers. With its eyes firmly set on discovering new Western success stories, Square Enix is putting faith in the imaginative hearts of Copenhagen’s game makers. And honestly? This one has serious hype potential.

Square Enix’s Westward Shift, Round 2?

Square Enix hasn’t exactly been quiet about their strategy reboot. After selling off Eidos and Crystal Dynamics in 2022 and going back to their JRPG roots, they admitted earlier this year that the “reset” strategy flopped. Now, they’re casting the net westward once again—this time with a sharp focus on smaller, creative studios.

This marks a vibe shift from blockbuster AAA titles to collaborations with leaner, story-driven devs. And it seems Denmark’s Dyncrest checked every box. Their upcoming RPG, Vaultbreakers, has not only got Square Enix buzzing but could also turn into the breakout Western RPG the publisher desperately needs. According to the official announcement made on 8th July 2025 via Eurogamer, this isn’t just a publishing deal—it’s a full-on investment partnership.

What’s Vaultbreakers All About, Then?

Alright, so the title alone – Vaultbreakers – already screams post-apocalyptic treasure hunting in RPG form. The game is set in a world ravaged by mystical war tech and shines a spotlight on roguelike co-op gameplay where you squad up to bust open arcane vaults packed with lore, puzzles, loot and yes—heaps of enemies. The game blends dungeon crawling with live service elements. Think Diablo meets Risk of Rain with a gritty art style and Northern European flair.

Vaultbreakers is an action RPG on PC first and foremost, but console launches aren’t ruled out yet. As it stands:

• Platform: PC (Steam, Epic Games)
• Release Window: Late 2025 (with public beta potentially before the holiday season)
• Preorders: Not live yet; watch for updates via Square Enix blog and Dyncrest socials
• Geo Availability: Global launch confirmed; localisation in English, Danish, French and Japanese

Why Vaultbreakers Could Be a Sleeper Hit

Vaultbreakers isn’t trying to be a massive open-world epic—it’s hitting that sweet spot for co-op players who want bite-sized adventuring with character builds, evolving weapons and that perfect loot grind. It’s an indie RPG flavoured with just enough AAA polish to stand out in a crowded market of half-baked roguelikes.

And from what’s already been teased, it’s all about variety. Dungeons respawn with different layouts, puzzle types adapt to your team’s composition (a rogue-vs-mage puzzle meta? Yes, please), and the story’s delivered through in-dungeon discoveries—not endless cutscenes. That’s a win for players who hate hitting “skip.”

According to sources close to Dyncrest, the game’s development is about 75% complete, and they’re “laser-focused on co-op functionality,” especially with cross-region matchmaking. With Square Enix’s resources now backing QA and server infrastructure, expect a smoother launch than what we usually get from smaller studios.

The Indie-AAA Hybrid Model Is Working

This is Square Enix testing a new publishing model, again. Remember when Square Enix Collective helped release games like Forgotton Anne and Goetia? Vaultbreakers, however, marks a far closer collaboration, signalling that Square Enix wants more skin in the indie game outcomes they help fund. And honestly, Dyncrest Studio may just be the team to shift how we think about Western RPGs under a Japanese publisher’s wing.

Insiders note that if Vaultbreakers performs well, Square Enix could extend similar investment structures to other European dev studios with RPG concepts. Translation: we may be witnessing the reboot of Square Enix as the go-to name not just for final fantasies, but fresh western fantasy.

A Bit More on Dyncrest

Formed in 2021 by ex-KiloByte and IO Interactive creatives, Dyncrest began as a passion project studio. Vaultbreakers is their debut game, yet early footage and devlog deep-dives have already amassed a solid following. Their aesthetic? Somewhere between Dishonored’s oil-paint vibe and Darkest Dungeon’s narrative tone. Characters in Vaultbreakers don’t “revive”—they get replaced, with heirlooms passed down to the next character. A spicy permadeath twist is coming.

Dyncrest has confirmed they’ll showcase the game at Gamescom 2025, with a playable alpha build hosted at Square Enix’s booth. That’ll be the first big hands-on session for the press—and one to watch if you’re looking for juicy gameplay reveals.

Their lead designer, Aksel Mikkelsen, teased new enemy types and boss mechanics arriving in the Gamescom build, hinting that “each vault will feel like its own game within a game.” Quite the claim from a first-time studio, but with Square Enix backing them? You’d be bold too.