Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda is sending ripples throughout the gaming industry, and one common response among fans of the upcoming PS5 is that Sony should buy a major studio in turn. Whether or not this would be a productive move for Sony would require a much more in depth analysis, but if it were to go down this path, there does seem to be an obvious choice. Sony’s relationship with FromSoftware is already strong, much like Microsoft’s with Bethesda, and would do wonders to draw people back to the PlayStation family after Microsoft’s tempting offer with Bethesda.
For those unaware, Microsoft now owns ZeniMax, the parent company of Bethesda. The future of Bethesda games remains unknown because of this, with some speculating that many Bethesda franchise will become Xbox exclusives. Nevertheless, eager to go to bat for Sony are fans claiming that it should do a counter-acquisition, purchasing a major studio in response to Microsoft’s move. While throwing this kind of money around at the behest of fans isn’t something Sony is likely to do for the PS5, it does bring up the interesting question of which studio would fit best under Sony’s umbrella. Many may agree that FromSoftware would fit in perfectly.
FromSoftware and Sony have a long and storied history with one another already, dating as far back as the original Demon’s Souls in 2009 and possibly even further beyond that. Though the studio did create some games for Xbox and Nintendo consoles, a brief look at its releases shows there has always been some leaning towards Sony. The Dark Souls franchise broke this pattern, releasing on both major consoles, but FromSoftware still didn’t cut ties with Sony, as the incredibly popular Bloodborne title acted as a PS4 exclusive as well.
Now the Demon’s Souls remake, though developed by Bluepoint Games, is continuing its legacy as a PlayStation exclusive, and fans are left to wonder what comes next for FromSoftware. With Elden Ring and a potential Bloodborne sequel on the way, fans want to know how FromSoftware will handle exclusivity in the future. Given the popularity of the games created by this developer, Sony would be wise to capitalize on this pre-existing relationship, and it seems that there is no better time than now to do so given Microsoft’s surprise acquisition of ZeniMax and Bethesda.
If Sony were to make this bold move, it would be interesting to see how it would effect the exclusivity of certain FromSoftware games. Microsoft claims it will honor existing exclusivity agreements of Bethesda games, meaning titles like Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will retain their PS5/PC exclusive status, but it can’t be said whether or not Sony would do the same. Elden Ring, for example, was initially stated to be coming for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, though it seems more than likely that it will end up releasing on next generation consoles now. If Sony acquired FromSoftware, that could very well change and the title could become a PS5 exclusive.
Regardless, the fact remains that PS5 is already rolling in exclusive titles and content as it is. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players on PS5 got early access to the multiplayer alpha, Final Fantasy 16 was announced as a PS5 exclusive, and many other titles are as well. Sony doesn’t necessarily need to make a major acquisition to keep its place in the race, but doing so would further change the next-gen landscape. Ultimately, fans will have to wait and see, but Sony fanatics shouldn’t hold their breaths for any surprise acquisitions from the company.
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