Kadokawa faces leadership battle over Ring of Fire 'profit leakage'

In recent weeks, FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Group has been embroiled in something of a leadership battle. Oasis Management, currently the largest shareholder in Kadokawa with a 13.76 percent stake, has sought to oust its current CEO, Takeshi Natsuno, who has been in his role since 2021.

Oasis Management has argued that Natsuno should be replaced due to Kadokawa's declining profitability, and FromSoftware has been used as a key argument that it is time for a leadership change.

You might argue that this makes absolutely zero sense, and I wouldn't blame you. Elden Ring, along with its DLC, have been hugely successful and have spawned a similarly successful spinoff game and a movie adaptation. When it comes to successful games, Elden Ring is right at the top, but Oasis Management is still using it to criticize Natsuno for what they claim is “material profit leakage”.

Somehow Elden Ring didn't make enough money for Kadokawa's shareholders

tarnished riding current in the fire ring.

Yes, despite making all the money in the world, Oasis Management is upset that Elden Ring didn't make more money than that. As reported by Reuters, its biggest issue with Elden Ring is how the game was distributed, as FromSoftware decided to stick with Bandi Namco as a publisher rather than self-publish, losing out on potential revenue that went to Bandai instead.

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Any game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, Ranked

Hidetaka Miyzaki has become the face of FromSoftware with the games he has directed. So let's rank them all.

It's a semi-understandable argument, although a complete misunderstanding of how FromSoftware has always operated. Every game the studio has made in the past two decades has had a publisher, whether it's Sony, Activision, Bandai Namco or, most recently, Nintendo. Sure, it almost definitely has the capability, but probably chooses foreign publishers to work with to cut down on the hassle.

It's worth noting that Natsuno's shareholder support was at 90 percent last time this all started, so he's clearly got a decent amount of support, although now Oasis Management has cast doubt on his future, which could drop significantly, possibly below 50 percent, which would then be fuel to oust the CEO and bring in a new guy. It's all very busy and messy, and poor Elden Ring is at the center.