Final Fantasy maker Square Enix has signed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 to make multiple unannounced games.
Square Enix signed on the bottom line after meeting with Epic Games Japan, the Gears of War developer's Japanese branch.
It is unclear which games this deal relates to, but quotes from Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan, suggest Square Enix Japan will make use of the tech.
"Many Western games have achieved great success with the Unreal Engine, and this milestone reflects the Japanese development community's trust in our technical prowess," he said.
"We can't wait to see how Square Enix fuses the power of Unreal Engine 3 with its beautiful characters, enthralling storylines and fantastic gameplay."
Square Enix Japan creates the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts games.
Its studios in the West make Tomb Raider, Hitman, Kane & Lynch, Deus Ex, Thief and Legacy of Kain.
Hitman maker IO Interactive uses the new Glacier 2.0 engine, which is next-gen ready. Crystal Dynamics' CDC Engine is used for the upcoming Tomb Raider.
Details about the games using the Unreal Engine under this license agreement will be revealed by Square Enix, Epic said.
Square Enix Japan recently announced its next generation engine, Luminous Studio. Luminous Studio is said to be similar to Unreal Engine, and is DirectX 11 ready in anticipation of the transition to the next generation of consoles.
The deal with Epic suggests Unreal Engine 3 will be used in the short term by Square Enix.
Square Enix has form with Unreal. It used the tech to make role-playing game The Last Remnant in 2008.