For several weeks, rumors circulated in the video game industry about Sony’s potential acquisition of Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware. While these rumors originated from reliable sources, Sony remained silent. Today, Sony officially confirmed their intention to buy Kadokawa.
According to a recent issue of Weekly Bunshun on Yahoo! Japan, a Sony representative spoke on this specific matter. In the statement the spokesperson says,
“It is true that we have expressed our initial intentions [of acquiring Kadokawa]. We would appreciate it if we could refrain from commenting further.”
In November, Kadokawa announced that they had received a letter of intent from Sony to purchase the studio. Shortly after the announcement, Kadokawa confirmed Sony’s intention to acquire them. This confirmation indicates that the acquisition is imminent and with Sony confirming it, the deal is quite closer than expected.
This is the first time Sony has publicly commented on its plans to buy FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa to confirm the rumors. However, this is not the first time Sony has shown their ties with this Japanese gaming giant.
Sony has a 2% stake in Kadokawa and has also invested in FromSoftware, the developer of the acclaimed RPG “Elden Ring,” which is a subsidiary of the company. Despite concerns from many fans, the employees appear to be enthusiastic about the recent acquisition rumors. A mid-level employee said, “Why not Sony?’ We have no objections to being acquired, and it’s even a topic of casual conversation about, ‘Who would be best to be acquired by?”
While both companies have confirmed the acquisition intentions, there’s still speculation about the exact details. Regardless, this is a significant move for both Sony and Kadokawa. As a dominant force in the global video game market, Sony can leverage this acquisition to further develop Kadokawa’s IPs and potentially integrate them with the PS5 or PS5 Pro.
Do you think Sony will finally bring a Bloodborne 2 or a PS5 Pro version with this acquisition? What are your thoughts on Sony confirming the intentions to buy Kadokawa? Share your opinions in the comments.
