The gaming world has seen a number of high-profile acquisitions since the beginning of 2022 with several major studios involved. Microsoft kicked off the year with its nearly $70 billion purchase of Activision with Sony following shortly after and acquiring Destiny developer Bungie. Other big-name studios like Electronic Arts, Square Enix, and Warner Bros. Interactive have been linked to potential purchases throughout the year as well. Now, Tencent and Sony have both acquired larger stakes in Elden Ring developer FromSoftware.
The announcement was made early on Wednesday by FromSoftware's parent company, Kadokawa Corporation, revealing the newly bought shares of the developer. Following the issuance of the new stock shares, Tencent will hold 16.25 percent of FromSoftware while Sony will sit slightly lower at 14.09 percent. Kadokawa Corporation will maintain its status as majority shareholder in the Dark Souls studio following the purchase, holding 69.66 percent of FromSoftware. Kadokawa cited the sale to Tencent and Sony as "strengthening FromSoftware's capabilities" in regard to developing its own franchises like Sekiro and Elden Ring.
FromSoftware's new partnership with Sony comes after the developer has worked with Sony on exclusive projects multiple times in the past. FromSoftware developed and released Bloodborne as a PlayStation exclusive on PS4 as well as releasing the original Demon's Souls on PS3. Recent rumors alongside a Bloodborne maintenance announced for today have also raised fans' suspicion about the game potentially receiving some kind of major news during Sony's rumored upcoming PS Showcase.
The acquisition of a larger stake by Sony and Tencent comes as FromSoftware has continued to ride the success of Elden Ring. After being one of the most anticipated games in the gaming industry for several years, Elden Ring was met with critical and commercial acclaim following its launch. A recent sales report from publisher Bandai Namco revealed that Elden Ring has shipped 16.6 million copies globally since its February launch. Many fans and critics already consider Elden Ring a front-runner for Game of the Year awards with the game also sitting as one of the most talked about games of 2022 on Twitter.
Alongside Sony's acquisition of Bungie earlier this year, the PlayStation developer was also heavily linked to Square Enix purchase rumors. Tencent has owned a majority stake in League of Legends developer Riot Games for several years and Tencent was recently linked to negotiations with Ubisoft. The FromSoftware purchase will add to the list of high-profile acquisitions that has continued to grow throughout the year.
Source: Gematsu