Square Enix Crowned Metacritic's Best Publisher of 2025, Driven by Remasters and Remakes

Metacritic has unveiled its ranking of the top video game publishers for 2025, based on critical reception of games released throughout the year. For the first time in sixteen years since the inception of this annual list, Square Enix has claimed the coveted top spot.

Square Enix achieved an impressive average Metascore of 84 across nine titles released during the year, all of which received positive critical acclaim. A standout title was Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for PC, which garnered an outstanding average score of 90.

A significant factor in Square Enix's success was the strong performance of its remasters and remakes of beloved classics. These included Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, both earning an average of 88, alongside SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, which scored 81.

How Metacritic Ranks Publishers and the Top 10 for 2025

Metacritic's ranking system evaluates publishers based on four key criteria: their average annual Metascore, the percentage of games receiving positive reviews, the percentage with negative reviews, and the number of "excellent" productions (those with a score of 90 or higher).

Applying these criteria, Square Enix secured the leading position with 330.5 points. They were closely followed by Gamirror Games (formerly Gamera Games), a publisher known for quality low-budget productions, with 322.4 points. Capcom rounded out the top three with an average Metascore of 83 and 322.2 points.

Below is the full top 10 list:

1. Square Enix - 330.5 points - 84 average
2. Gamirror Games - 322.4 points - 82 average
3. Capcom - 322.2 points - 83 average
4. Thunderful - 306.8 points - 78 average
5. Microsoft - 305.7 points - 80 average
6. Take-Two - 304.0 points - 79 average
7. Sega - 303.9 points - 80 average
8. Electronic Arts - 302.9 points - 79 average
9. Dotemu - 302.2 points - 81 average
10. Raw Fury - 301.0 points - 79 average