Sonic co-creator has been arrested yet again on charges of insider trading at Japanese publisher, Square Enix.
In November 2022, Yuji Naka was also arrested on charges of insider trading at Square Enix related to the mobile game, Dragon Quest Tact. This insider trading allegedly took place during the development of the critical flop, Balan Wonderland. Another associate was also arrested for the same charges.
Yuji Naka arrested for insider trading for a second time at Square Enix
As covered by Eurogamer, the Japanese newspaper Asahi reported that Naka has been re-arrested on further charges of insider trading and it involves another mobile game. This time the mobile game in question is Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier.
Furthermore, Naka has now been accused of purchasing shares of the developer of FF7: The First Soldier, ATeam. The shares are said to be worth 144.7m yen (roughly £865k/$1m).
The shares were allegedly purchased before the game was officially announced. At this time, while charges have been made, no conviction has been issued by Japanese law.
Has Yuji Naka tarnished his legacy?
It’s certainly not a good look for Yuji Naka, especially for an individual being partly responsible for bringing us the beloved and ever-popular Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. It remains to be seen if Naka’s legacy is tarnished from here on out.
In more positive Sonic and Final Fantasy news
In more positive news, Sonic Prime, the new 3D animated series comes to Netflix next week on December 15th. What’s more, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 – Reunion, a remake of the 2007 PSP classic, also comes to modern consoles next week on December 13th.
What are your thoughts on the new charges brought against Yuji Naka? Let us know your thoughts across our social media channels.
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Featured Image Credit: SEGA/Source: Eurogamer