In the midst of buzzing rumors about Sony expanding its horizons, there’s talk that Kadokawa Corporation, the major shareholder of game developer FromSoftware, is leaning towards a complete acquisition by Sony rather than exploring other options. Essentially, the entertainment giant is interested in a takeover that not only encompasses its gaming hubs like FromSoftware but also extends to its extensive assets in different sectors.
Since the early stages when speculations of Sony potentially acquiring Kadokawa began making rounds, there have been rapid developments. Kadokawa itself publicly acknowledged Sony’s interest, which inevitably stirred excitement—and perhaps a bit of anxiety—among fans of FromSoftware’s creations on platforms other than Sony. This buzz seemed to have a positive impact, nudging the share price of Kadokawa upward. Now, whispers in the industry suggest that Kadokawa has laid out favorable terms for a potential deal.
Drawing from insights by Bloomberg, Kadokawa appears to have set a clear stance: they want Sony to take over the entire company, including its massive anime and manga collections, or walk away from the deal altogether. This position clashes with Sony’s initial strategy, which was to selectively acquire gaming and anime assets from Kadokawa’s diverse portfolio. However, it seems there’s now encouraging progress in ironing out the earlier discrepancies concerning the level of engagement necessary for this possible acquisition.
If Sony manages to pull off this acquisition, it would certainly shake things up, granting them a larger voice in the operations of FromSoftware’s parent company. Since 2022, Sony has already held a 14.09% stake in FromSoftware, trailing behind Kadokawa’s 69.66% and Tencent’s 16.25%. With the acquisition rumors in the air, should this deal come through, Sony could acquire over 83% of FromSoftware’s shares, substantially increasing its influence over the creator behind iconic games such as Dark Souls.
FromSoftware’s stellar track record over the past decade, which includes two Game of the Year accolades at The Game Awards, makes this potential deal quite significant for Sony. While there’s always the option for Sony to embrace exclusivity for FromSoftware’s future projects, just adding another award-winning studio to its impressive roster of first-party studios—alongside names like Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games—would be a triumph. Moreover, taking full ownership of Kadokawa would open new doors for Sony, giving them access to an expansive array of IPs from the prolific anime maker.
