Sony Music Entertainment Japan to Acquire 23% Stake in GungHo Online Entertainment - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 01 September 2026 / 1,632 Views
Sony Music Entertainment Japan announced it will acquire a 23.29 percent stake in Puzzle & Dragons developer GungHo Online Entertainment for 28,635,502,500 yen ($178.86 million USD).
The deal is expected to close on December 30, 2026, pending approval by regulators and it will make Sony Music Entertainment Japan the largest shareholder, as well as an affiliated company of GungHo Online Entertainment.
The two companies have also entered a capital and business alliance agreement that includes plans to explore joint development and joint operation of smartphone games, console games, and PC games operated and distributed by GungHo Online Entertainment.
The two will also explore promotion of collaboration initiatives for GungHo Online Entertainment games, as well as explore new game projects that includes the utilization of intellectual property of Sony Music Entertainment and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Following the closure of the deal, GungHo Online Entertainment will maintain its management independence as a publicly listed company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market.
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 follow the author on Bluesky.
