The challenge: How do you tackle cross-border communication efficiently and reliably?

SQUARE ENIX’s multiple blockbuster gaming titles like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy have brought excitement and wonder to millions worldwide. But with numerous overseas offices supporting its globally popular games, seamless cross-border communication hasn’t always been so straightforward.

This is because the company lacked a standard translation platform. Departments used different paid tools, resulting in inconsistent practices, higher costs, and security risks. Employees were reluctant to use unapproved AI translation tools (known as shadow IT) out of concern that confidential data could be exposed or used for AI training. This made choosing a company-wide AI translation tool an urgent priority.

“The global IT department received a clear request from management to introduce a company-wide standard translation tool,”

explains Felix Abraham, Enterprise Infrastructure Information System Department at SQUARE ENIX. “This led us to consolidate the scattered tools across the organization.”

The solution: One unifying, enterprise-ready translation platform supporting every department and office

To address these challenges, SQUARE ENIX adopted DeepL for Enterprise. With enterprise-grade security and comprehensive customer support across all departments—including Development, Publishing, HR, and Legal—it was the perfect solution for replacing “shadow IT” and enabled employees at global offices to collaborate efficiently and confidently.

The main reasons for selecting DeepL for Enterprise were enterprise-grade security and translation quality. Knowing that company data wouldn’t be used for AI training and that DeepL fully complies with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) reassured SQUARE ENIX that it could meet the critical requirements for handling confidential information across a global organization.

A robust support system

Another key factor in the decision to adopt DeepL for Enterprise was its robust support system, which provides end-to-end assistance from implementation to adoption. There’s a dedicated onboarding team—separate from standard customer support—guiding the organization through every step, from service setup to full internal adoption. Felix reflects,

“The team carefully supported us step by step with implementation challenges, such as integrating employee accounts who already used DeepL personally with DeepL for Enterprise and setting up SSO (single sign-on), allowing us to proceed with confidence.”

DeepL also provided help pages and FAQs to support post-implementation operations, enabling users to resolve questions independently. The multilingual help pages gave employees easy access to information through a user-friendly interface. In addition, premium support—exclusively for DeepL for Enterprise customers—ensured a more reliable and seamless implementation experience.

Strong brand recognition

Felix also highlighted that DeepL’s strong reputation played a big role in the choice. Many teams were already familiar with the tool, and some departments even had paid subscriptions. This prior awareness made it easier to roll out DeepL as the company-wide standard, reducing the learning curve and helping employees adopt it confidently.

The results: Seamless rollout, optimized workflows 

Once the decision was made to implement DeepL for Enterprise, the Information Systems Department launched a full-scale rollout, and accounts were granted to employees who requested access.

"We had a mix of people using DeepL's paid and free versions, and some who weren't familiar with DeepL at all. But the company-wide rollout went smoother than we imagined. We're especially grateful to the onboarding support team. For employees who already had DeepL accounts, we needed to integrate them with the new system, and they provided detailed guidance on how to do that, which was a huge help. The onboarding support team provided extensive assistance during the implementation." 

Felix Abraham, Enterprise Infrastructure Information Systems Department.

From knowledge-sharing to instant document translation

Today, DeepL is used across multiple departments at SQUARE ENIX, including Development, Information Systems, Publishing, Human Resources, and Legal. Within Information Systems, the ability to use it in the desktop application, browser and Office extensions has greatly improved the convenience of translation. Having these tools to hand eliminates simple yet stressful tasks, such as copying and pasting large amounts of text or constantly switching between screens. By leveraging these features, users can translate content into multiple languages instantly; and have experienced a clear improvement in operational efficiency.

Staying up to date

To keep everyone aligned post-implementation, SQUARE ENIX set up an automated system that adds employees with DeepL access to a dedicated Slack channel. This channel shares real-time updates, including new feature releases and system status notifications, ensuring that everyone stays informed and connected. Felix noted, “We can use it with peace of mind because the necessary information reaches us promptly”, underscoring how important it is to maintain an environment where employees can confidently and actively use DeepL day-to-day.

Localizing text in context

DeepL has also become an invaluable tool in improving the translation quality of SQUARE ENIX’s content. The development teams use DeepL Write to support localization for international audiences.

“Text within content requires more than just literal translation—it needs nuance that fits each region’s language and culture,” Felix explained. “DeepL Write doesn’t just correct grammar or spelling; it helps refine style and tone, offering natural, culturally aware alternatives. That balance of accuracy and expression is a major advantage.”

A global communication strategy, unleashed

Looking ahead, SQUARE ENIX plans to further streamline global communication with DeepL. Felix notes that removing even the smallest language barriers can have a powerful impact on productivity across the organization.

“For example, when I receive an email in a language I don’t understand, there’s a psychological barrier—I might hesitate to reply. Those small moments of hesitation add up and slow down the entire company,” he explained. “That’s why we need an intuitive, secure AI translation tool that everyone can use with confidence. DeepL continues to be that driving force, making communication smoother and helping accelerate our global strategy.”

As SQUARE ENIX continues to create games loved by players the world over, DeepL remains a key partner—empowering the company’s global expansion and breaking down communication barriers worldwide.