Nintendo has fully acquired one of its partially owned studios.

Key Takeaways

• Nintendo has acquired full ownership of Xenoblade Chronicles developer Monolith Soft and now holds all 2,400 shares of the company.
• Nintendo originally purchased 80% of Monolith Soft stock from Bandai Namco in 2007, then increased that stake to more than 96% four years later.
• The company purchased the remaining 80 shares held by the Monolith Soft co-founder between February and November 2024.

nintendo Monolith Soft has been fully acquired. The studio has already been a Nintendo subsidiary for most of its existence, so we don't expect much to change after this move.

Monolith Soft – Don't be confused. awe and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Developer Monolith Productions is a Japanese studio specializing in role-playing games. The number of employees in 2023 was 264. This company Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles title. The group was co-founded by former SquareSoft designer Tetsuya Takahashi in 1999 and operated for eight years as a subsidiary of Namco and later Namco Bandai (now known as Bandai Namco). Nintendo subsequently acquired a controlling stake in the company in 2007.

Now, the switch maker appears to have increased its stake in Monolith Soft to the level of full ownership. This was recently updated according to Monolith Soft's official website, with Nintendo now holding all 2,400 shares of the company, as first reported by Automation West. Before this change, co-founders Tetsuya Takahashi and Hirohide Sugiura each held 30 shares, and Yasuyuki Hanne held 20 shares. As a result, the two people's combined stake in the studio reached about 3.33%. Nintendo first acquired 80% of Monolith Soft in 2007, but increased its stake to 96.66% in 2011.

Nintendo acquired Monolith Soft outright without much fanfare.

It's currently unclear when exactly Nintendo purchased the remaining 80 shares from the Monolith Soft co-founder. According to Game Rant's review of cached web data: Xenoblade Chronicles The developer began listing Nintendo as the sole owner between October 1 and November 21, 2024. However, the acquisition may have been completed months ago. Nintendo is still listed as a part-owner of Monolith Soft in its latest annual company brochure, published in February 2024.

Timeline of Nintendo's stake in Monolith Soft

Considering that Monolith Soft has been a Nintendo subsidiary for 17 of its 25 years, it is unlikely that this change in circumstances will have a significant impact on day-to-day operations. Currently working in the studio. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive EditionIt is a remaster of the 2015 Wii U JRPG and is scheduled to release exclusively on Switch on March 20, 2025.

In addition to original titles, Monolith Soft has continued to play a supporting role in big-budget Nintendo projects. For example, the Tokyo branch is recognized for its contributions to: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordWhile Kyoto Studio supports development Pikmin 2, splatoon 3and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Monolith Soft Tokyo 2nd Production Team can also be seen in the following credits: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the KingdomOne of the other first-party Nintendo games.

Source: Automation West, Monolith Soft (cached)