In a report by Reuters, Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the Japanese media giant that’s best known (at least in the gaming scene) for being a majority shareholder of FromSoftware.
To be exact, the report stated that sources familiar with potential acquisition said that there have already been talks between Sony and Kadokawa. This is said to be part of Sony’s strategy of adding to its already huge entertainment portfolio.
While the deal is not set in stone yet, talks are ongoing, and there’s potential that a deal may be signed in the coming weeks.
This is an interesting move from Sony, and it makes sense given that Sony already has a 2% stake in Kadokawa, along with a larger 14.09% stake in FromSoftware, the studio behind hit titles like Elden Ring and Dark Souls. For reference, Kadokawa is the majority shareholder of FromSoftware with a 69.66% stake.
Sony and Kadokawa have not commented on the report, so we’ll have to wait and see if either Sony or Kadokawa make an announcement in the coming weeks.
If the Sony and Kadokawa acquisition does push through, it’ll be interesting for the future of FromSoftware. It’s not clear if this will mean FromSoftware will be moved under the PlayStation Studios banner, or if it will retain its current status. Hopefully, this doesn’t change much for FromSoftware regarding how they make games. What we also hope for is that a Bloodborne remaster or even a remake eventually gets released (though we hope for this to happen whether or not the Sony acquisition pushes through).
While FromSoftware is no doubt the biggest talking point for many, the studio is just one part of Kadokawa as the media conglomerate is big in the light novel and anime space. Kadokawa owns the IP of many popular titles (including the likes of KonoSuba, Re:Zero, etc), and given how Sony already owns Crunchyroll, it seems that this acquisition will see it beef up its anime portfolio even more.