Key Takeaways
- Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware.
- Potential acquisition would give Sony ownership of multiple media brands, not just video games.
- Sony’s history of studio acquisitions, including some less successful purchases, could make this deal risky.
Sony is reportedly in talks to buy Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware’s parent company, Kadokawa.
The report comes from Reuters who say that Sony is looking to “add to its entertainment portfolio.”
Sony In Talks To Buy Kadokawa
Kadokawa is likely a name not overly familiar to the Western World, but it is one of the biggest media conglomerates in Japan. The company owns a 70 percent stake in FromSoftware, as well as Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero developer Spike Chunsoft, and dozens of anime, manga and media brands.
According to Reuters, talks are ongoing between the two sides, and the deal could be closed “in the coming weeks.”
Talks are ongoing between the two sides, and the deal could be closed ‘in the coming weeks.’
The purchase of Kadokawa would be the latest in a long line of development studio acquisitions from Sony. Over the past few years, the PlayStation creators have purchased Bungie, Insomniac Games, Haven Studios, and the recently shuttered Firewalk studios.
However, while Sony seems keen on acquisitions, its track record hasn’t been the best. The recently-released Concord was heralded as one of gaming’s biggest-ever flops, causing its developers to close, and multiple other PlayStation-owned studios have faced layoffs in recent times, including hundreds of staff from Bungie, which Sony reportedly “overpaid” for.
Should the purchase be finalized, it will likely bring further parity between PlayStation and Xbox creator Microsoft, which, over the last few years, has made some major acquisitions of its own. In 2022, Microsoft confirmed the purchase of Call of Duty owner Activision for $70 billion, and a few years prior, it purchased Fallout and Skyrim developer Bethesda for a reported $7.5 billion.
While Elden Ring and Dark Souls may not be on the same commercial level as Call of Duty or Skyrim, it would certainly be a feather in Sony’s cap.
Both Sony and Kadokawa declined to comment when asked by Reuters.