FromSoftware’s parent company, Kadokawa Corporation, has 20 console games in the work following the astronomical success of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, as well as six mobile games cooking away. It’s safe to say, big things are coming from Japan under the Kadokawa umbrella.
On page 27 of the Kadokawa Corporation’s earning results presentation, we can see the companies future aspirations for game releases. These 20 console games are spread across FromSoftware, Spike Chunsoft, Gotcha Gotcha Games, and Acquire. As for those six mobile titles, we’re looking at a split between Kadokawa and Vic Game Studios.
So, this obviously points to good levels of growth at the company. This is indicated in the report itself on page 19, which shows that sales increases in the quarter were attributed largely to Elden Ring and its DLC. Operating profits increased by 50.8%, which is nuts.
The question is, what split of these 20 games will each developer get? It’s worth noting no timeframe or release dates for these games have been listed, so it’s safe to assume these games are in a range of development stages. I’ll say here, I wouldn’t expect FromSoftware to be working on the lion’s share of these titles. The studio has a history of keeping development tight between two to three games at a time.
Even though Elden Ring has brought in a lot of money, and seems to be the golden child in Kadokawa’s household, drastic expansions on game projects aren’t something I’d anticipate. Last year the company did a major hiring drive for “multiple new projects” (thanks IGN Japan). So, here’s my wager: three games in active development!
It’s also worth giving some love to Spike Chunsoft, who has proven quite apt at churning out good games at decent pace. Smaller projects for sure, like RAIN CODE, are very good and are worth your time.
So there we have, major moves at Kadokawa and FromSoftware! It’s not like FromSoft fans had much to worry about in regards to the health of the studio, but either way, a good sign of things to come.