The affair between Kadokawa and Sony regarding an acquisition by the latter of the company that owns FromSoftware (Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Armored Core) ends in nothing. Or almost.
As we previously reported, some rumors claimed that Kadokawa was in Sony’s sights, which had said it was interested in acquiring him. In the following weeks, confirming the rumors that emerged, both confirmed that they were in negotiations and that the matter continued “behind the scenes” in the following days.
In the end, as reported by the Windows Central portal, the two companies concluded their discussions. The total acquisition will not be carried out, as there were signs of a potential Sony monopoly in the anime sector. However, the latter becomes Kadokawa’s largest shareholder by signing a strategic alliance agreement that allows it to take 10% of its shareholdings.
This stake surpasses that of Tencent, which took 6.86% of those shares and paid about $264 million for its “strategic business alliance.” Compared to those figures, Sony paid approximately $331.2 million.
Ultimately, Sony becomes the majority shareholder of the Kadokawa group, but at the same time the company that owns FromSoftware can afford full freedom of action in how to proceed with the publication of its works.
