FromSoftware, the developer behind massive franchises like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, is a subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Kadokawa Corporation. According to a fresh report, Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa in a massive deal worth billions, and it could go through within a few weeks.
The exclusive Reuters report says that two sources familiar with the latest dealings between the two companies have confirmed talks are ongoing. Sony already owns a 2% stake in Kadokawa as well as 14% of FromSoftware, with Tencent and other parties also owning similar portions.
The latest numbers say that the studio"s most recent game, Elden Ring, sold over 25 million copies globally by June 2024, with 12 million of that coming within the first month of launch. The Game of the Year-winning RPG also released its massive Shadow of the Erdtree expansion earlier this year to critical acclaim. That expansion is even in the running for this year"s Game of the Year award at The Game Awards.
If the move goes through, FromSoftware"s future games could become PlayStation exclusives, though, leaving behind Xbox consoles. PC versions may still land, considering Sony"s efforts on porting its exclusives to the platform, but they may be delayed releases.
Kadokawa also touts Spike Chunsoft (Danganronpa), Aside (Octopath Traveler), and Gotcha Gotcha Games (RPG Maker) among its game development studios. Acquiring Kadokawa can also benefit Sony"s entertainment business in Japan. The company has a huge number of subsidiaries in markets like Japanese TV, movies, manga, anime, and other media.
Neither Sony nor Kadokawa have responded to comment requests from Reuters regarding the deal, so take this with a grain of salt until something official comes through.