Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of renowned game maker FromSoftware, has expanded its gaming portfolio by acquiring Acquire as a subsidiary. This move is aimed at promoting collaboration between its studios and bolstering its overall gaming strategy.

Established in 1994, Acquire initially focused on creating games for Sony's PlayStation consoles and PC before expanding to other platforms, including mobile. The studio gained recognition for its role in co-developing the Octopath Traveler RPG series with Square Enix. Kadokawa Corporation was drawn to Acquire's extensive experience and proficiency in game development and publishing, prompting the acquisition.

Kadokawa Corporation's decision to bring Acquire under its wing is driven by the desire to generate synergies with its other game-related subsidiaries. Notably, Kadokawa Corporation is the parent company of FromSoftware, renowned for its critically acclaimed Soulsborne games.

Dwango, a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, owns Spike Chunsoft, the developer behind Dragon Quest and Danganronpa. Spike Chunsoft, specializing in adventure games, RPGs, and visual novels, contributed to the Danganronpa spiritual successor Master Detective Archives: Rain Code released last June. In addition to game development, Spike Chunsoft also serves as a publisher, introducing notable western-developed games like Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk: 2077, Metro: Exodus, Disco Elysium, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to the Japanese market.

Acquire's Notable Franchises and Collaborations

• Acquire has contributed to prominent franchises such as Shinobido, Tenchu, and Way of the Samurai.
• The studio also co-developed the Octopath Traveler RPG series with Square Enix.

Besides facilitating collaboration among its studios, Kadokawa Corporation anticipates that Acquire's addition to its portfolio will strengthen its capacity to create intellectual properties within the video game sphere, enhance planning and development capabilities across the group, and fortify its console game lineup. The company highlighted the success of the Octopath Traveler games, lauded as some of the highest-rated modern JRPGs.

Notably, Tenchu, one of Acquire's prominent franchises, was also mentioned by Kadokawa Corporation. Acquire president Takuma Endo previously expressed interest in rebooting Tenchu for the PlayStation 5, acknowledging the complexities due to FromSoftware's ownership of the franchise. With both Acquire and FromSoftware now under the Kadokawa Corporation umbrella, Endo's aspiration for a Tenchu reboot may be a step closer to realization.