Sony is reportedly in talks to acquire Japanese media giant Kadokawa Corporation, which is currently the majority shareholder in Elden Ring, Bloodborne and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware, in an attempt to expand its entertainment portfolio.
According to Reuters, two sources revealed that talks between Sony and Kadokawa are “ongoing” and if the business talks are successful, a deal could be concluded “in the coming weeks.”
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Sony already owns about 14% of FromSoftware, Chinese giant Tencent holds just over 16%, and Kadokawa holds the largest stake at about 70%. Sony and Kadokawa both declined to comment to Reuters for this story.
If Sony acquires Kadokawa, it will get more than just FromSoft. In addition to the games I mentioned before, the company's IP basket also includes games such as “Armored Core” and “Sekiro”. In terms of games, Kadokawa also owns Dragon Ball: Sparks! Zero and Danganronpa developer Spike Chunsoft, Octopath Traveler co-developer Acquire and RPG Maker developer Gotcha Gotcha Games. Kadokawa, meanwhile, has many products in film, television and publishing, especially anime.
Considering Sony already owns Crunchyroll and Funimation, that last bit will likely be as huge a draw as being able to own those games where you can roll around a big boss with a huge health bar and die multiple times, Also have a very good time if you succeed with git gud.
On the gaming front, the news comes as Sony-owned PlayStation has seen layoffs and studio closures, with its decision to abandon sales of Concord entirely less than two weeks after the game's release.
What are your thoughts on the idea that Sony might acquire Kadokawa and thus become a majority shareholder in FromSoft? Let us know below!
