Sony acquires 2.5% of Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco for a “strategic partnership”

by

As a dedicated fan, I’m thrilled to share that following our investment of 10% in Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware, Sony is now setting its sights on FromSoftware’s main publisher, Bandai Namco. In an exciting new business venture, Sony has recently acquired a small yet significant 2.5% stake in the legendary Pac-Man company.

Sony acquires 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco, often recognized for its collection of anime-based games like Dragon Ball series and One Piece titles, happens to be the primary publisher for many games developed by FromSoftware, including Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

According to a shared announcement, Sony and Bandai have labeled their recent agreement as a “strategic alliance.” Notably, Sony now possesses 16 million shares in the company. Given that Sony holds the leading anime distributors in the Western market, namely Crunchyroll and Funimation, the declaration disclosed that this collaboration primarily aims to foster the expansion of anime and manga-related content.

Via this partnership and Sony’s investment in Bandai Namco, two prominent Japanese entertainment companies, aim to increase the global fanbase for intellectual properties (IP) like anime and manga. They will work on enhancing audience engagement, especially in the anime sector that is expected to see rapid growth. By combining their strengths, they plan to develop new, emotionally impactful experiences for fans. Ultimately, this collaboration aims to boost the value of these IP.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got some exciting news to share! While it’s true that Sony, through its ownership of the Kadokawa Group, holds a significant stake in FromSoftware, it doesn’t mean they fully control the masterminds behind Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Interestingly, FromSoftware continues to create their magic outside the realm of PlayStation, ensuring that their innovative work is available across various gaming platforms.

After unveiling Elden Ring Nightreign across multiple platforms, FromSoftware’s upcoming project is exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 – a PvPvE game titled The Duskbloods. Following this release, the studio hints at returning to their single-player releases, although no specific title has been announced yet.

Read More

2025-07-24 13:10