Sony and Tencent buy part of FromSoftware, creators of Elden Ring

All gamers know From Software, the Japanese studio led by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of one of the most influential sagas of the 21st century. They are the fathers of Dark Souls and other titles such as Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. It is one of the most desired companies, and at a time when we often see major acquisitions and studio buyouts, two proper names have their eyes on it.

These are Tencent and Sony (PlayStation), which have stepped up their investment in the Kadokawa Corporation-owned studio by purchasing shares. According to the company's report, shared by Gearoid Reidy, Tencent has become the second largest shareholder with 16.3% of From Software, while Sony exercises control over 14.1%. The deal is worth 36 billion yen through a combined investment between the two. Kadokawa remains the majority shareholder.

From Software's legacy

The Japanese studio has more than 30 years of history behind it, in which we have seen work in various franchises such as King's Field, Armored Core, Tenchu, Otogi, Echo Night... The list is extensive, but if there is one name responsible for it becoming one of the most acclaimed companies in recent years, it is none other than Dark Souls.

It all started with an agreement with Sony to release Demon's Souls exclusively for PS3, although the mass phenomenon was unleashed by Dark Souls. From that moment on, you already know the rest of the story: two sequels as successful or more successful as its predecessor, a new exclusive with PlayStation as Bloodborne, different bets as Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and this year, the finishing touch with an Elden Ring that last June was close to 17 million copies sold. No wonder it is such a desired studio.

Source | Kadokawa Corporation; via Gearoid Reidy