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Sony did not buy FromSoftware. In December 2024, Sony bought newly issued shares in KADOKAWA, FromSoftware’s parent company, bringing Sony’s KADOKAWA holding to about 10%. Sony already held a separate minority stake in FromSoftware through Sony Interactive Entertainment. The alliance points to broader collaboration between Sony and KADOKAWA, but it does not announce a FromSoftware game, a PlayStation exclusivity deal, or a change to any release plan.
What Sony bought—and what it did not
On December 19, 2024, Sony Group Corporation and KADOKAWA Corporation announced a strategic capital and business alliance. Sony agreed to buy 12,054,100 newly issued KADOKAWA shares for approximately ¥50 billion. Including Sony’s earlier holding, the transaction was expected to bring its stake in KADOKAWA to approximately 10%, making Sony KADOKAWA’s largest shareholder at the time of the deal. Sony and KADOKAWA’s announcement also said Sony did not plan to buy additional KADOKAWA shares after this acquisition.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Elden Ring (PS5) (European Version) | $34.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Elden Ring, 1 PS5-Blu-ray Disc | $74.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Elden Ring: Nightreign - Seekers Edition /PS5 | $43.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Bandai Namco Entertainment Elden Ring (PS5) | $40.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Elden Ring - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
That was an investment in KADOKAWA, not a purchase of FromSoftware. It also did not give Sony a majority stake in KADOKAWA. The distinction matters: an ownership link can create opportunities for cooperation without proving that the investor controls every subsidiary’s decisions.
How Sony’s stake in KADOKAWA relates to FromSoftware
FromSoftware’s ownership figures are separate from Sony’s KADOKAWA investment. After a 2022 share issuance, KADOKAWA held 69.66% of FromSoftware, Tencent subsidiary Sixjoy held 16.25%, and Sony Interactive Entertainment held 14.09%, according to FromSoftware’s August 31, 2022 announcement. Sony’s 2024 transaction was for KADOKAWA shares; it was not a new direct purchase of FromSoftware shares.
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#1 Best Overall
- Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the ELDEN RING mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of ELDEN RING will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.
- Building the world of ELDEN RING with Miyazaki-san and his team was a treat! The graphics, mythos, and action-RPG gameplay will deliver an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait for people to see what ELDEN RING has in store for them.” Said George R.R. Martin.
In that 2022 announcement, FromSoftware said the share issuance would not change its independence in game design and development, player communication, or platform selection, and that the funding would support investment in in-house game development. That statement describes the circumstances of the 2022 issuance. It is useful context, but it is not a guarantee about every decision after the 2024 Sony-KADOKAWA alliance.
What the alliance could cover
Sony and KADOKAWA described potential areas for collaboration intended to expand the global reach of their intellectual property. Their examples included:
Rank #3
- Elden Ring: Nightreign - Seekers Edition /PS5
- Joint investment in content and discovering creators.
- Live-action film and television adaptations of KADOKAWA properties, as well as co-produced anime.
- Broader global anime distribution through Sony.
- Expanded global publishing of KADOKAWA games.
- Developing talent for virtual production.
These were areas the companies planned to explore, not a list of committed projects. The announcement did not name a FromSoftware game or confirm a specific publishing, adaptation, or platform arrangement. KADOKAWA CEO Takeshi Natsuno said the alliance was expected to strengthen the company’s IP creation and media-mix options and help deliver its IP to more users globally, with Sony’s support. The announcement frames the deal as a broad content and distribution relationship.
What changed in KADOKAWA’s shareholder ranking
Sony was KADOKAWA’s largest shareholder when the 2024 transaction was announced, but that is no longer the latest reported ranking. GamesRadar reported in March 2026 that Oasis Management held 13.76% of KADOKAWA as of March 30, 2026, overtaking Sony. The report relayed a translated KADOKAWA statement that its administrative policies are not influenced by the actions of individual shareholders. This later shareholder snapshot does not establish that Oasis controls KADOKAWA or indicate what it will do. GamesRadar’s report attributes the translated statement to Automaton Media.
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What the deal supports
- Sony and KADOKAWA have signaled a stronger strategic relationship and broad ambitions to collaborate on content and global distribution.
- FromSoftware sits within KADOKAWA’s group, so it could be part of the wider business relationship.
- Sony had a separate 14.09% minority holding in FromSoftware through Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on the 2022 figures—not as a result of the 2024 KADOKAWA share purchase.
What it does not establish
- That Sony bought FromSoftware or controls KADOKAWA.
- That Elden Ring or another named game will become PlayStation-exclusive.
- That a particular FromSoftware release, platform plan, or production schedule will change.
- That the alliance guarantees more FromSoftware games.
The announcements establish ownership and possible areas of collaboration, not game-by-game outcomes. Any claim that the deal will make a specific title exclusive or alter its release plans goes beyond what the companies announced.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware Inc. and produced by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG and FromSoftware's largest game to date, set within a world full of mystery and peril
- Journey through the Lands Between, a new fantasy world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series, and George R. R. Martin, author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire
- Traverse the breathtaking world on foot or on horseback, alone or online with other players, and fully immerse yourself in the grassy plains, suffocating swamps, spiraling mountains, and foreboding castles
- Create your character in FromSoftware’s refi ned action-RPG and defi ne your playstyle by experimenting with a wide variety of weapons, magical abilities, and skills found throughout the world
- Charge into battle, pick off enemies one-by-one using stealth, or even call upon allies for aid - many options are at your disposal as you decide how to approach exploration and combat
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
