Nintendo plans to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore

Nintendo, the renowned Japanese gaming company, intends to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore.

According to a statement to investors, Nintendo will purchase 80% of Bandai Namco Studios Singapore's shares on April 1st, 2026, with plans to obtain the remaining shares at a later date.

Following the acquisition, Bandai Namco Studios Singapore will become a subsidiary of Nintendo and be renamed to Nintendo Studios Singapore.

Established in 2013, Bandai Namco Studios Singapore is known for its work on titles such as Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Soul Calibur 6, and Tekken 7 and 8. It has also assisted in the development of Splatoon 3. The studio recently launched its own game, Hirogami, a collaboration with Bandai Namco Studios Malaysia.

"BNSS has served as a key overseas base for Bandai Namco Group, specializing in creating in-game art assets," Nintendo informed its shareholders. "Its collaboration with Nintendo, especially on the Splatoon series, has led to our decision to acquire BNSS shares to enhance our development capabilities."

This move aligns with Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa's recent announcement that the company plans to expand its development capacity by acquiring more firms.

"Our strategy includes bolstering our internal game development through acquiring development companies, expanding facilities, and constructing the Corporate Headquarters Development Center, Building No. 2," he stated.

Traditionally, Nintendo hasn't focused heavily on acquisitions but has begun to purchase companies it has longstanding relationships with. Notable acquisitions include Next Level Games in 2021, and later SRD Co Ltd and Dynamo Pictures. The latter was rebranded as Nintendo Pictures and has contributed to various internal and external projects, including motion capture for Death Stranding 2.

In 2024, Nintendo purchased Shiver Entertainment from Embracer Group and acquired the remaining 20% of Monolith Soft, completing its ownership of the company it initially invested in back in 2007.