Sony Buys Stake in Bandai Namco, Tightens Ties Around Elden Ring and More

Sony has just bought a 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco, the publisher of Elden Ring, and officially announced a new strategic partnership between the two companies. This move builds on years of collaboration across games, anime, and music, but also sends a clear signal about where Sony wants to go next — deeper into IP expansion, transmedia projects, and stronger global fan engagement.

The 16-million-share investment is part of a broader plan that goes beyond just video games. Sony says the focus of this partnership is on "expanding the fan community for IP such as anime and manga around the world and strengthening engagement." That’s not a surprising direction, given that both Sony and Bandai Namco are deeply invested in cross-media franchises and are already intertwined with several major Japanese IPs.

Sony has previously partnered with Bandai Namco on a range of projects, from publishing roles to content collaborations. Now, with this stake in place, that cooperation becomes more formal — and potentially more aggressive when it comes to expanding shared universes and fan communities.

“Through this partnership, we aim to co-create an array of content and experiences that exceed expectations and deliver Kando (emotion) to even more fans,” said Sony’s Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo.

Bandai Namco is one of the oldest and most recognizable names in Japanese entertainment. It started as Namco in 1955, originally operating amusement rides, before becoming a major force in arcades with titles like Pac-Man and Galaga. In 2005, Namco merged with Bandai, best known for its toys and anime properties like Mobile Suit Gundam and Digimon. Together, they’ve grown into one of Japan’s largest multimedia companies, with a strong hold on both the gaming and anime industries.

Bandai Namco also has a deep connection with FromSoftware, acting as the global publisher for Elden Ring, one of the most successful RPGs of all time. Released in 2022, Elden Ring sold over 20 million copies and introduced FromSoft's brutal combat and cryptic world design to a new wave of players. It's an open world, designed in collaboration with George R.R. Martin, that set a new bar for fantasy games and established FromSoft as a top-tier developer worldwide.

Sony already owns a minority stake in Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of FromSoftware. This means it has indirect influence over the developer behind Elden Ring, Sekiro, and Dark Souls. Now, with a separate stake in Bandai Namco, Sony is getting closer to both the creator and the publisher sides of the Elden Ring equation.

This network of partnerships is starting to resemble a long-term strategy. With an Elden Ring movie already confirmed to be in the works, and veteran director Alex Garland attached to the project, it’s clear Sony wants a role in how the franchise grows beyond games.

Garland has made no secret of his love for the game either.

"It’s Malenia who’s the tough one,” he said last month. “I’m now on my seventh playthrough of that game. I’ve leveled up, I’ve got lots of juice, and a cool sword, and stuff like that, and I just throw myself at them again, and again, and again.”

If Elden Ring becomes the next big multi-platform IP, similar to what The Witcher did through Netflix or what Cyberpunk achieved with Edgerunners, Sony will want to be in the driver’s seat.

This isn’t the first time Sony has aligned itself with a FromSoft-related IP. Back in 2015, Bloodborne launched exclusively for PlayStation 4. Developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony, Bloodborne remains a cult favorite, known for its faster-paced combat, Lovecraftian horror setting, and Victorian aesthetic. Though fans have long asked for a remaster or sequel, Bloodborne has remained locked to PS4 hardware. Sony’s deeper ties to Bandai Namco and continued relationship with FromSoft only fuel more speculation that the company may seek to revive or expand these darker universes.

While this new partnership doesn’t guarantee exclusives or sequels, it definitely creates the conditions for more direct collaboration between Sony and Bandai Namco in content development, IP management, and merchandising. From gaming to anime, physical goods to streaming media, the deal covers a lot of ground, and Bandai Namco’s catalogue goes far beyond just Elden Ring.

Games like Tekken, Tales of Arise, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, and Armored Core VI all come out of Bandai Namco’s orbit. Sony’s move could lead to new transmedia projects from any of those IPs — or even cross-brand events that combine PlayStation content with Bandai Namco's anime licenses.

With competition rising from other global media giants, especially in the space where games, film, and anime overlap, Sony's investment feels like a hedge against being left behind. This is about controlling the pipeline from game console to streaming service to merchandise aisle. If a game like Elden Ring hits once, Sony wants to make sure it hits again, across formats.

What started as a quiet 2.5% buy-in might turn out to be one of the more important business stories for the next few years. FromSoftware’s titles continue to grow in cultural relevance. Bandai Namco remains a powerhouse of Japanese IP. And Sony is placing itself right between them, ready to help shape what comes next.