Evgenii "Gufis" Kondratev The saga of the acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation by the much larger Sony has come to an end, at least for the time being.
What’s important? A full acquisition didn’t happen; instead, Sony purchased "only" 10% of Kadokawa’s shares, becoming its largest shareholder. To the public, this was presented as a "strategic alliance."
It was previously known that Sony was negotiating a merger with Kadokawa, but it seems that for now, both parties have decided to settle for deepened cooperation. It will be interesting to see the reaction from employees, as many within Kadokawa were expecting a full merger.
Among the potential initiatives between the two parties are joint investments in content, the search for new authors, and collaborative work on marketing. Specific ideas are expected to be discussed in the future, likely after the stock purchase is completed.
Recent additions include adaptations of Kadokawa's franchises into TV series, movies, books, and comics. It is likely that among these franchises are Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Furthermore, the parties plan to collaborate in the anime sector and expand Kadokawa's publishing activities in the gaming industry.
It can be said that the most dangerous part is now behind us, and Sony will not turn into the Japanese equivalent of Disney. However, this doesn't mean that such an unfortunate outcome isn't possible in the future. But for now, we can breathe a sigh of relief.
Main image: steampowered.com
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