Sonyhas officially acknowledged its interest in acquiringKadokawa Group, with a report from Japan suggesting that employees view this as a favorable move.
Sony Interested in Kadokawa
The potential acquisition of Kadokawa, the parent company ofFromSoftware, by Sony is generating increasing buzz. Initially, the deal appeared to be “on hold,” as the two companies seemed to have divergent goals.
Shortly after, Kadokawa CEO Takeshi Natsuno admitted that Sony had approached them to negotiate a deal, but stated that nothing official was on the table. This appeared to put the operation in limbo—or so it seemed.
Sony has now confirmed that it is indeed interested in acquiring Kadokawa, describing this as an initial “declaration of intent.”
Kadokawa Employees “Approve” the Acquisition
While Sony and Kadokawa discuss potential terms, it’s notable what the employees of the Japanese company—behind FromSoftware, Spike Chunsoft, and Acquire—think about this possible acquisition. It seems they are overwhelmingly in favor of the move for a very specific reason.
According to Japanese outlet Bunshun, Kadokawa Group employees believe the acquisition by Sony would be positive in every way and have expressed dissatisfaction with current CEO Takeshi Natsuno.
A veteran employee stated that their colleagues view the potential acquisition favorably, hoping that Sony would replace the current executive leadership and improve workplace methodologies.
“The people around me are excited at the prospect of a Sony acquisition,” notes the Bunshun report.
This enthusiasm is largely tied to events from January 2024, when Kadokawa was the victim of a ransomware attack. CEO Takeshi Natsuno failed to publicly address the security breach that enabled the attack, leaving many employees frustrated.
“There are a significant number of employees dissatisfied with Natsuno’s management. He didn’t even bother to hold a press conference after personal information was leaked in the cyberattack. They hope Sony will first remove the current president if the acquisition goes through.”
Even Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, one of the company’s founders and a former president, has reportedly expressed approval of the potential Sony acquisition, according to employees.
It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold. If the deal is finalized, future FromSoftware games could potentially become PlayStation exclusives—or Sony might take a more hands-off approach, as it did with Bungie.
Be sure to check out other newsSony Is In talks To Acquire The Parent Company of FromSoftwareand alsoShuhei Yoshida Announces Sony Retirement
