Xbox fans can breath a sigh of relief, at least for now.
A few weeks ago, rumors began to swirl that FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa was potentially looking to sell to Sony, giving Xbox’s arch-rival ownership of blockbuster franchises like Elden Ring. FromSoftware has become an industry giant in recent years, thanks to non-stop success across franchises like Dark Souls and Armored Core, the former of which defined an entire genre.
FromSoftware has a storied history with PlayStation, developing Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne as console exclusive titles back in the day. FromSoftware also developed an Xbox exclusive title named Ninja Blade as well, some may remember, although let’s say it wasn’t nearly as well received as some of their other titles …
Parent company Kadokawa is also a giant in the anime and manga industry, which is an avenue Sony has increasingly pushed into as its legacy hardware business declined. As such, the acquisition would have made a huge amount of sense for the Japanese giant, although it doesn’t seem to be happening for the time being.
KADOKAWA and Sony Agree to Form Strategic Capital and Business Alliance – Sony acquiring 12,054,100 new KADOKAWA shares for approximately 50 billion yen. Sony will become KADOKAWA’s largest shareholder, holding approximately 10% of its shares, including the shares Sony previously… pic.twitter.com/RipHb76U85December 19, 2024
Spotted by Wario64, Sony and Kadokawa have wrapped up their discussions and created a “Strategic Capital and Business Alliance,” with Kadokawa issuing 12,054,100 new shares to lend Sony a 10% stake in the business. That stake now makes Sony the biggest shareholder in Kadokawa, outstripping Tencent’s own previous 6.86% stake. Tencent previously paid around $264 million USD for its own “strategic business alliance” with Kadokawa. Sony’s is worth roughly $331.2 million USD by comparison.
Developing …
