Sony Strikes 'Strategic Partnership' With Elden Ring Publisher Bandai Namco, Acquires 2.5% Stake

Sony has acquired a 2.5% involvement successful Elden Ring steadfast Bandai Namco.

Sony said the 16 million-share acquisition forms portion of a broader "strategic partnership" with Bandai Namco and "will absorption connected expanding the instrumentality assemblage for IP specified arsenic anime and manga astir the satellite and strengthening engagement."

Sony said it has "historically collaborated connected assorted projects successful the fields specified arsenic games, anime, and music" with Bandai Namco, and plans to widen this collaboration "to a broader scope of areas."

While not explicitly addressed successful the announcement, gaming forms a important portion of some companies, and it's hard to ideate a satellite wherever FromSoftware's gargantuan Elden Ring — which Namco Bandai publishes — isn't expanded further. After all, Sony is already the largest shareholder successful FromSoft's genitor company, Kadokawa, and an Elden Ring movie is already successful development.

"The 2 companies mean to instrumentality initiatives including the enlargement of works arsenic good arsenic products and services based connected IP developed by Bandai Namco, leveraging Sony's strengths successful areas specified arsenic the accumulation and organisation of anime and different video content, arsenic good arsenic merchandising," Sony said successful a property release.

"Through this partnership, we purpose to co-create an array of contented and experiences that transcend expectations and present Kando (emotion) to adjacent much fans, alongside Bandai Namco Group, with its outstanding capableness for multidirectional enlargement of divers IP and heavy connections with fans astatine existent touchpoints, some domestically and internationally," said Sony's main strategy officer, Toshimoto Mitomo.

While we're talking astir Elden Ring: In lawsuit it wasn't clear, yes, Elden Ring movie manager Alex Garland cares astir FromSoft's crippled arsenic overmuch arsenic you do. He's presently connected his seventh playthrough of the epic phantasy RPG, and precocious revealed the brag helium recovered the toughest to instrumentality down.

“It's Malenia who's the pugnacious one”, Garland told IGN past month. “I'm present connected my seventh playthrough of that game. I've leveled up, I've got tons of juice, and a chill sword, and worldly similar that, and I conscionable propulsion myself astatine them again, and again, and again, and again.”

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.