Sony has confirmed its plans to acquire FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa, weeks after reports surfaced that the company was in talks to acquire the media and publishing company. PlayStation’s parent company said it has made a “preliminary statement of intent” to acquire Kadokawa. While the two Japanese companies initially declined to comment on reports in November that claimed Sony had initiated takeover talks, Kadokawa later confirmed Sony’s approach.
Sony confirms interest in FromSoftware parent company
The tech giant confirmed this in comments made during an interview with Yahoo Japan on Wednesday. “Indeed, we have made an initial statement of intent and we would be grateful if we could refrain from making further comments,” Sony said.
Kadokawa, the media group that owns Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, confirmed Sony’s interest last month after receiving initial reports. “There are some articles about Sony Group’s acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), but this information has not been announced by the company.” Kadokawa said in a press release on November 20, “The company has received a preliminary letter of intent to acquire the company’s shares, but has not yet made a decision. If there are any facts that need to be announced in the future, we will make a timely and appropriate announcement.”
If the acquisition is successful, Sony will own a valuable intellectual property portfolio, including video games, animations, comics, etc. Perhaps the most high-profile property owned by Sony is Japanese video game developer FromSoftware. The studio has produced critically and commercially successful games such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Kadokawa is the major shareholder of FromSoftware, owning 69.66% of the company’s shares. Sony already owns a large stake in the developer. In 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Tencent acquired a combined 30.34% stake in the studio, of which Sony acquired 14.09%.
In November, Reuters reported that Sony was in talks to acquire Kadokawa to expand its entertainment portfolio. The publication cited sources as saying a deal could be signed in the coming weeks.