LogIn10% of the FromSofware owner's shares now belong to Sony.
Following numerous reports about Sony's intention to purchase Kadokawa and indications that Kadokawa's own employees were in favor of the acquisition – which unsettled a sizeable portion of Elden Ring and Dark Souls fans – the situation has finally been clarified, with both companies announcing that Sony will not buy Kadokawa.
FromSoftware
According to a joint statement from the companies, they have signed a strategic capital and business alliance agreement, which includes a third-party allotment allowing Sony to purchase over 12 million Kadokawa shares worth approximately $318.6 million by January 7, 2025. With this deal, Sony will become Kadokawa's largest shareholder, holding roughly 10% of its shares, including those previously acquired in early 2021.
The statement goes on to say that the agreement will "facilitate wider and deeper collaboration, such as potential joint investments in the content field, joint discovery of new creators, and joint promotion of further media mixes of both companies' IP." However, the most crucial detail for the gaming community – how much influence Sony now has over FromSoftware's games – has not been specified.
"We are very pleased to conclude this capital and business alliance agreement with Sony," commented Kadokawa CEO Takeshi Natsuno. "This alliance is expected to not only further strengthen our IP creation capabilities, but also increase our IP media mix options with Sony's support for global expansion, allowing us to deliver our IP to more users around the world. We are confident that this will greatly contribute to maximizing the value of our IP and increasing our corporate value in the mid- to long-term."
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