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PlayStation and Tencent Acquire 30.34% Stake in Elden Ring Developer FromSoftware

PlayStation and Tencent Acquire 30.34% Stake in Elden Ring Developer FromSoftware - News

by William D'Angelo , posted on 31 August 2022 / 1,877 Views

FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Corporation announced Sony Interactive Entertainment and Tencent subsidiary Sixjoy Hong Kong have acquired a combined 30.34 percent stake in the Elden Ring developer. 

Sixjoy Hong Kong will own a 16.25 percent stake in FromSoftware, while Sony Interactive Entertainment will own 14.09 percent. Kadokawa Corporation will remain the largest shareholder owning 69.66 percent of the shares.

Read the details from the press release below:

The Kadokawa Group advocates a "global media mix with technology" as its fundamental strategy that combines the stable creation of intellectual property (IP) consisting of a variety of portfolio content chiefly in the Publication, Video, Game, Web Service, and Education businesses as well as the rollout of this IP on a global scale through the extended use of technology, seeking to achieve sustained growth and enhance corporate value from medium- to long term perspectives. FromSoftware is driving the Game Business as it has continually been creating world-famous works, such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring, leveraging its advanced game IP development strength. With an eye on further expansion of the Game Business, the Group recognizes the enhancement of capabilities for the creation, development and deployment of game IP as one of the Group’s highest priorities. In line with this policy, the Company has decided to have FromSoftware implement fund procurement by way of a Third-Party Allotment to Sixjoy and SIE, the scheduled allottees, for the reasons outlined below.

Tencent acquired capital in Guangzhou Tianwen Kadokawa Animation and Comics Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, in 2016, and the two companies have been jointly promoting their media mix strategy targeting the Chinese market. In addition, the Company, Sixjoy and Tencent Japan entered into a capital and business alliance agreement as of October 2021 to strengthen their strategic alliance in the anime and game fields. Tencent and its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereinafter, the “Tencent Group”) are a global Internet group that provides communication, social, gaming, digital content, advertising, fintech and cloud services, and operates the leading communication and social platform in the Internet industry in China.

Sony and its subsidiaries (hereinafter the “Sony Group”) and the Company have developed a collaborative business relationship across a wide range of areas related to the Sony Group’s global Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business operations, branded hardware business and games business. In February 2021, the Company conducted a third-party allotment with Sony as the allottee with the aim of strengthening its relationship with the Sony Group over the long term, and creating new IP of the Company and maximizing the utilization of its existing IP in anime and game fields.

Through the implementation of the fund procurement, FromSoftware will aim to proactively invest in development of more powerful game IP for itself to strengthen FromSoftware’s development capabilities and will seek to establish a framework that allows the expansion of the scope of its own publishing in the significantly growing global market. In addition to these purposes, for an increase of the number of users in the global market for game IP that FromSoftware creates and develops, FromSoftware decided to conduct the Third-Party Allotment to Sixjoy within the Tencent Group, which has strength in its capabilities to develop and deploy mobile games and other network technologies in the global market including China, and SIE within the Sony Group, which has strength in its capabilities to deploy IP in games, videos and various other media in the global market, concurrently and separately.


A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.


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12 Comments
Mystro-Sama (on 31 August 2022)

Why does Tencent have to force themselves into everything I like?

  • +6
Valdney Mystro-Sama (on 31 August 2022)

Because that is how companies that are nothing more than an arm of a totalitarian party operate. By default these kinds of companies cannot create anything worthwhile, they
then buy worthwhile properties with the subsidies they get from the party.

  • +6
2zosteven (on 31 August 2022)

a great time to buy stock in the company. Elden ring 2?

  • +4
mjk45 2zosteven (on 31 August 2022)

Sony bought a stake in Kadokawa itself before the success of Elden Ring around the time they were consolidating their anime portfolio since Kadokawa are a media conglomerate an one of Japans largest anime /manga producers and publishers now while that move seems to be based around Sony's anime consolidation it may have helped pave the way for this purchase.

  • +3
thevideogameninja (on 31 August 2022)

After the success of Elden ring and From software in general who wouldn't want a stake?

-VIDEOGAME NO BRAINER NINJA APPROVED-

  • +4
2zosteven thevideogameninja (on 01 September 2022)

sony needs some help, sony stock has dived this year, maybe this will help some?

  • +2
thevideogameninja 2zosteven (on 01 September 2022)

Can't hurt, right? ?‍♂️

-RIGHT????? NINJA APPROVED-

  • +1
LivncA_Dis3 (on 03 September 2022)

Come on Sony buy it all outright and release Bloodborne remaster or 2nd iteration!

  • +1
DonFerrari (on 31 August 2022)

Well since they still have majority of shares and Tecent owns more than Sony itself let's see if this will change anything at all on how they make games.

  • 0
method114 DonFerrari (on 31 August 2022)

I think From still has the majority stock. So I don't think it will change anything.

  • 0
mjk45 method114 (on 31 August 2022)

From is still 69.66% owned by Kadokowa and they are much more than just From soft they are one of Japans largest manga and anime producers , and iirc Sony own part of Kadokawa itself when they bought that stock around the time Sony was consolidating their Anime portfolio and was touted at the time as the main reason why Sony bought shares in Kadokawa this news was also reported on here by trunks.

  • +3
VAMatt (on 01 September 2022)

I see this as insignificant to gamers. It's just a capital raise by From's parent company. If anything, it helps those of us that enjoy the games by putting more resources into the hands of a good developer.

  • -1