Yuji Naka Accuses Dragon Quest Producer of Lying

Yuji Naka, the co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, recently ended a 16-month break from social media. He did so to accuse Yu Miyake, a top producer for Dragon Quest, of lying in court during Naka’s trial for insider trading.

Last year, Naka faced a 30-month prison sentence, which was suspended for four years. He also had to pay fines totaling ¥173 million ($1.2 million) after admitting to buying shares with inside information while working at Square Enix.

Naka had been silent on social media since November 2022, right before his formal indictment. His return to posting was sparked by news that Miyake, who was involved with Naka’s project Balan Wonderworld at Square Enix, might be reassigned within the company. In a post, Naka suggested that Miyake submitted false statements in court documents related to the insider trading case. Naka expressed hope that the new Square Enix president would be a better person, noting he had never met Miyake personally.

Miyake, who has been with Square Enix since 1992 and played a significant role in the Dragon Quest series, is now set to lead the company’s mobile games division. Naka’s arrest in November 2022 was part of an investigation into allegations that he used confidential information for insider trading. This included early knowledge about a new Dragon Quest mobile game, Dragon Quest Tact, and confidential plans for another game, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier.