Kadokawa Corporation, known for holding a majority stake in FromSoftware, the studio behind Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls, has recently revealed they’ve received a “preliminary letter of intent” from Sony, expressing interest in buying the company’s shares. Despite this development, Kadokawa has mentioned that no decision has been made yet regarding whether they will proceed with the sale.
This follows a report by Reuters which highlighted that Sony and Kadokawa have been engaged in ongoing discussions. These talks might lead to a deal being finalized “in the coming weeks” if everything goes well in the boardroom.
The update from Kadokawa was shared via a statement from their CEO, Takeshi Natsuno, released after their company’s stock value soared due to the news. Investors seem quite intrigued by the prospect of a potential corporate merger, reminiscent of lessons learned at finance schools known for encouraging such enthusiasm.
“There are articles circulating about Sony Group Inc. acquiring Kadokawa Corporation,” the statement reads. “This information has not been officially announced by us. We have received a preliminary letter of intent to buy our shares, but no decision has been made as of now.”
Natsuno assured, “Should there be any facts requiring disclosure in the future, we will provide updates promptly and appropriately.”
At this point, it remains a tentative possibility in this potential acquisition scenario, with Sony yet to comment further as of this writing.
As noted in our coverage of the initial report, if Sony were to acquire Kadokawa, they’d gain more than just FromSoft. It would include Spike Chunsoft, developers of Danganronpa, Acquire, co-developer of Octopath Traveler, and Gotcha Gotcha Games, known for RPG Maker, all of which operate under Kadokawa. Plus, there would be significant implications for anime and manga, another major segment of Kadokawa’s business landscape.
What are your thoughts on Sony’s potential acquisition of Kadokawa, and thus becoming the majority owner of FromSoft? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
