Nintendo is Buying Out One of Bandai Namco’s Studios

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Nintendo will fully acquire Bandai Namco Singapore by spring 2026, purchasing all shares of the development studio. Nintendo and Bandai Namco have a history of working together, and this deal is expected to create new opportunities, potentially impacting the next generation of the Switch console.

As a critic, I’ve been following Bandai Namco’s global expansion closely, and it’s fascinating to see how they’ve structured their development teams. Back in 2013, they smartly set up a studio in Singapore to focus on games for the Asian market, and another in Vancouver to handle the West. While they work on a lot of titles, their biggest hit so far has undoubtedly been Splatoon 3, a fantastic collaboration with Nintendo EPD that launched on the Switch in September 2022. The Singapore team has also been taking the lead on some later installments in well-known franchises – I’ve seen their work on Soul Calibur 6, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and the fun VR rhythm game, Taiko no Tatsujin: VR Festival. They’re clearly becoming a key player in the industry.

Games Developed By Bandai Namco Singapore

  • Splatoon 3 (with Nintendo EPD)
  • Soul Calibur 6
  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unkown
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: VR Festival

Nintendo announced it will be taking majority ownership of Bandai Namco Singapore next year. The company will initially acquire 80% of the studio’s shares on April 1, 2026, with plans to purchase the remaining 20% after a period of stabilization. The studio will be renamed Nintendo Studios Singapore. Nintendo expects the acquisition to have a minimal financial impact in the short term, but believes it will create many opportunities for future growth, particularly as support for Splatoon 3 has already begun to wind down.

Nintendo hasn’t been acquiring new game development studios at the same pace as its competitors, Sony and Microsoft. Sony now boasts over 20 first-party studios, recently adding Bungie, Firewalk Studios, and Kadokawa Corporation. Microsoft’s Xbox has also been expanding rapidly, highlighted by its $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023, which brought popular franchises like Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Diablo under the Xbox brand.

Nintendo has been steadily acquiring game development studios and creative companies in recent years. In May 2024, they purchased Shiver Entertainment, known for porting popular titles like Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat 1, and Guitar Hero to new systems. Later that year, Nintendo finalized the acquisition of Monolift Soft, the developers of Xenoblade Chronicles, though they had a significant stake in the company since 2011. Other acquisitions this decade include SRD, a long-time partner dating back to the NES era, and Next Level Games, the team behind Luigi’s Mansion 3, several Mario Strikers games, Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and the 2009 Punch-Out for Wii. Nintendo also bought Dynamo Pictures (now rebranded), an animation studio that has contributed to games, anime, and even motion capture for titles like Death Stranding 2.

Nintendo’s partnership with Bandai Namco suggests they’re preparing to compete more aggressively with other major game developers. Although the Switch is currently selling better than the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, Nintendo previously lost the developer Rare to Microsoft in 2002 after declining to acquire them themselves. The recent popularity of Donkey Kong Bananza has reminded fans of Rare’s successful Donkey Kong Country games, and Nintendo’s creation of Nintendo Studios Singapore may be a way to ensure its Splatoon franchise doesn’t face a similar fate.

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2025-11-27 21:04