Square Enix Montreal has rebranded as Onoma so it has more freedom as it seeks to expand and “connect with multiple audiences.”
The branding pivot comes shortly after the studio was sold to Swedish conglomerate Embracer Group along with other notable Square Enix studios and properties.
The Hitman Sniper and Lara Croft Go developer described the branding pivot as a “new chapter,” and said it intends to create “multiple products, programs, and initiatives, each with distinct personalities.”
“Our strength has always been our ability to evolve and adapt to trends and market changes. Our rebrand as Studio Onoma is one more transformation that we are excited to take on,” it added. “We have built the Onoma brand to be flexible to see us into the future, connect with multiple audiences, and not hinder us from expanding with the market.”
As for why the team chose the moniker Onoma, they said the word is Greek for “name” and claimed “names offer endless possibilities.”
The announcement itself is filled with plenty of PR padding, but if you’re interested in how the studio’s in-house design team developed and refined the brand, it’s still worth checking out.
For those of you who don’t feel like wading through reams of philosophical musings about font curvatures and line usage, just remember that Square Enix Montreal is Onoma now, and apparently it has some pretty big plans in the works.