A Sony buyout of FromSoftware could change Souls games forever

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, the potential acquisition of FromSoftware by Sony has me both excited and apprehensive. On one hand, the prospect of exclusive Souls series games on the PS5 is a tantalizing offer that no fan could ignore. The thought of a Bloodborne 2 or a Demon’s Souls sequel is enough to make my heart race with anticipation.


The acquisition of FromSoftware by Sony might significantly impact the future of the Souls series. Here’s a look at some potential outcomes.

Reports suggest that Sony might be negotiating a takeover of Kadokawa, the corporation that houses the game development studio FromSoftware. This team is renowned for creating titles like Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and many others.

If they prove successful, such an outcome could lead to all subsequent games from FromSoftware becoming PlayStation 5 exclusives, giving Sony significant influence over the projects of FromSoft.

Essentially, when people talk about “Soulslikes,” they’re usually referring to games that share a similar style or gameplay mechanics as Dark Souls and Elden Ring, but were developed by different studios rather than FromSoftware.

Despite the fact that each game – Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring (with some arguing for Sekiro as well) – has its own unique identity as a separate franchise, they are all commonly grouped together as “the Souls series.

A Sony buyout of FromSoftware could change Souls games forever

Fractured Souls

They’re unique because although all of them were created by FromSoft, they were mostly published by various entities. For instance, Dark Souls series and Elden Ring are under Bandai Namco, Sekiro is published by Activision, while Bloodborne and Demon’s Souls are intellectual properties of Sony.

Acquiring FromSoftware by Sony opens up possibilities, such as assigning the team to potentially create a follow-up for Bloodborne or leveraging the success of their recent Demon’s Souls remaster on PS5 to develop a new installment in the series.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve always cherished the Dark Souls series, knowing it was a spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls (2009). However, since Demon’s Souls falls under Bandai Namco’s ownership, Sony might take up the mantle to carry on the Demon’s Souls saga, ensuring their original franchise thrives. Frankly, FromSoftware has been so engrossed in larger projects that it seems unlikely they’d have the time and enthusiasm to revisit this series themselves.

Regarding substantial future endeavors, it’s hard to imagine anything more significant than a potential sequel to Elden Ring. Given its impressive performance, and with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC being nominated for Game of the Year 2024, it seems almost certain that discussions about Elden Ring 2 will be on the table.

Since FromSoftware now holds sole ownership rights to Elden Ring and potentially Sekiro as well, it’s possible that if Sony were to buy FromSoft, they would also gain the rights to these games. This means that sequels like Elden Ring 2 or a follow-up to Sekiro could potentially be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 platform.

A Sony buyout of FromSoftware could change Souls games forever

Shared Sony Souls universe

The Souls series, published by different entities, exist in separate universes. Yet, they share subtle links like the character Patches and others, which fuels fan discussions on whether FromSoftware considers these ties as interconnected within their internal perspective.

If Sony were to acquire FromSoftware, it could allow them to create a common universe based on the Souls series (Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring) if they chose to do so. However, since Dark Souls remains under Bandai Namco, that franchise might continue independently.

If Sony were to actually sign a contract to purchase FromSoftware, possibilities such as an exclusive Elden Ring 2 and Bloodborne 2 would move a bit nearer to being real.

Additionally, such an agreement could potentially block FromSoftware from working with other external game publishers on a Dark Souls 4 project, given that the series seems to have reached a decisive conclusion with the Dark Souls 3 additional content.

It’s common for FromSoftware to excel at innovation, usually opting to create fresh titles instead of repeatedly producing sequels. Thus, it’s intriguing to ponder whether they’ll maintain this approach if a Sony acquisition occurs.

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2024-11-19 15:51