Sony is in talks to buy FormSoftware Owner Kadokawa

Sony is in talks to buy Kadokawa, the majority owner of FromSoftware

According to a report from Reuters, Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa, a Japanese media powerhouse. The talks between both groups are ongoing, and a deal between the groups could be signed over the coming weeks. News of this acquisition sent Kadokawa’s stock price rising, boosting it by 23%.

Kadokawa is a huge company, but gamers will be interested in its majority stake in FromSoftware, the studio behind Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Dark Souls. This would be a huge win for Sony’s PlayStation brand. Sony already owns a 14% stake in From Software, with Kadokawa owning 69.6% of the company. Sony already owns the rights to FromSoftware’s Bloodborne and Demon Souls franchises.

While most news on this acquisition focuses on FromSoftware, it is worth noting that Sony is a major player in the Anime space. Sony owns Crunchyroll and Funimation. Note that Kadokawa also has a stake in the manga and Anime markets. This is another reason why Sony is interested in acquiring Kadokawa. Recent anime hits from Kadokawa include Delicious in Dungeon and Oshi no Ko, the former only available on Netflix, which are now a major competitor to Sony/Crunchyroll in the Anime market.

Acquiring Kadokawa would give Sony advantages in several key markets. It would cause FromSoftware to fall under Sony’s control and further add to Sony’s domination of the anime market. Overall, an acquisition would be a huge win for Sony. That said, it remains to be seen if this deal will go through.

You can join the discussion on Sony’s plans to acquire FromSoftware’s majority shareholder on the OC3D Forums.