Sony Group Corporation is reportedly in talks to acquire Japanese publishing giant Kadokawa Corporation, according to Reuters. They also report that a deal could be signed in the coming weeks if the discussions turn out to be successful, citing two sources familiar with the matter. When asked by them, Sony declined to comment while Kadokawa said it cannot comment.
Kadokawa Corporation was founded in 1945 as Kadokawa Shoten, and it is today a giant in Japan’s entertainment industry, with major presence in publishing (particularly light novels and manga), anime, and gaming. Some of their biggest titles include Re:ZERO: Starting Life in Another World, Overlord, The Rising of the Shield Hero, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, No Game No Life, Spice and Wolf, The Saga of Tanya the Evil, among others. Notably, they recently acquired studio Doga Kobo.
When it comes to gaming, Kadokawa Games has titles like Demon Gaze and Root Letter, and the company owns FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring and Dark Souls.
Sony Group Corporation was founded in 1946. It has long been a global leader in entertainment and technology, particularly strong in gaming and music, but also in the anime and film industries. Through its subsidiary Aniplex (a division of Sony Music Entertainment Japan), Sony has produced and distributed anime hits like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Fate/Stay Night, Sword Art Online, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, among many others. Aniplex also oversees studios like A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks.
Sony acquired Crunchyroll in 2021 and merged it with Funimation, further cementing its presence. In May 2024, the company announced a plan to establish an academy with Aniplex and Crunchyroll to train anime creators.
In gaming, Sony has always been a giant with its PlayStation brand. Some of their titles include The Last of Us, God of War, Uncharted, Spider-Man, and Horizon. These are developed by their studios such as Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, and Insomniac Games.
Should the acquisition go through, Sony would gain access to Kadokawa’s large catalog of intellectual properties, heavily increasing its anime, publishing, and gaming divisions. Stay tuned as we wait for any official announcements.
Source: Reuters
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