Sony is reportedly in talks to buy Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft
Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa, as reported by Reuters Japan on November 19. If the deal goes through, the acquisition should be finalized within a few weeks, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Kadokawa is a large Japanese publisher that owns game companies such as Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, Spike Chunsoft, Acquire and Gotcha Gotcha Games. The company also owns numerous major manga and anime IPs, such as Delicious in Dungeon and Oshi no Ko.
According to Bloomberg, Japanese equity experts say “there is no doubt that Sony Group is targeting FromSoftware.” Sony already owns 2.1% of Kadokawa’s shares and has been gradually strengthening capital ties with the company. In 2021, Sony Group invested approximately 5 billion yen in Kadokawa, and in 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment invested in FromSoftware.
Sony Group has declined to comment on the acquisition, while Kadokawa said that they have made no announcements and that nothing has been decided (source: Bloomberg Japan).