Kadokawa has announced that Sony Interactive Entertainment and Tencent subsidiary Sixjoy Hong Kong Limited have bought a minority stake in developer FromSoftware. The purchased stock amounts to approximately ¥36 billion (about $260 million), making up 30.34% of the company’s stock. [Thanks, PR Times!]
The purchase was finalized on August 31, 2022, after a meeting of executives at FromSoftware. Specifically, both companies are spending a combined ¥36,399,550,000. After the purchase, Sixjoy will own 16.25% of the company while Sony will own 14.09%. FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa will continue to remain the majority stakeholder, holding 69.66% of the developer’s shares.
Founded in 1986, FromSoftware has created numerous award-winning titles across several generations. Notably, the company has had a close relationship with Sony since the release of the PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon’s Souls in 2009. Since then, the company has created several popular franchises including Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and, most recently, Elden Ring.
Furthermore, Tencent and its Japanese subsidiary Tencent Japan have also had an ongoing relationship with Kadokawa. Back in October 2021, Tencent announced that it would invest $264 million in the Japanese publisher. The two companies are working jointly to promote Kadokawa’s anime and games worldwide. Tencent holds large stakes in many game companies, like Epic Games, and Riot Games, and Soleil.
The purchase of FromSoftware’s stock will officially go through once Sony and Tencent pay the total cost on September 7, 2022.
Published: Aug 31, 2022 05:00 am