Sony Will Explore New Game Projects via $180m Stake in Japanese Publisher, But PlayStation Is Not Involved
Sony Music Entertainment is set to become a major shareholder in Japanese publisher GungHo Online Entertainment through a deal worth approximately $180 million, with plans to explore new smartphone and console games that make use of Sony Music's intellectual property. Notably, Sony's PlayStation division is not part of this arrangement, highlighting the continued lack of coordination between different Sony business units, despite the company's broader efforts in recent years to align its various divisions more closely.
GungHo, best known for the mobile hit Puzzle & Dragons, has also published console titles such as Let It Die on PS4 and its sequel Let It Die: Inferno on PS5, as well as Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter in North America. The deal remains subject to regulatory approval, with both parties expecting it to close by 30th December 2026. The move echoes similar quirks within Sony's structure, such as Sony Music subsidiary Aniplex supporting Nintendo Switch releases while overlooking PlayStation.
- Sony Music to take $180m stake in GungHo Online Entertainment, publisher of Puzzle & Dragons
- Deal aims to develop games using Sony Music's IP, but excludes PlayStation
- Expected to close by 30th December 2026, pending regulatory approval
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Sony Music’s investment could put its artists’ and other intellectual property to work in games, while giving GungHo resources and creative opportunities across mobile and console platforms. Keeping the arrangement outside PlayStation may allow the partners to choose platforms and projects on their merits, rather than assume that every Sony business must work together.
The case against
The deal may reinforce concerns that Sony’s divisions are not making the most of opportunities to collaborate, particularly when Sony-owned game publishers and PlayStation could potentially benefit from shared expertise or promotion. If the groups operate separately, Sony may miss ways to build on its intellectual property and game businesses together, and the arrangement offers no clear indication that the wider company is becoming more coordinated.
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