FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese company that creates and publishes video games. It was started by Naotoshi Zin on November 1, 1986, as a business software developer. The company released its first video game, King's Field, for the PlayStation in 1994. The success of this game led FromSoftware to focus entirely on making video games. They created two more King's Field games before launching the Armored Core mecha shooter series in 1997.
During the 2000s, FromSoftware released games such as Echo Night, Shadow Tower, Lost Kingdoms, Otogi, and Another Century's Episode. The company gained widespread recognition in the 2010s with Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy of action role-playing games. These games are often considered among the greatest video games ever made. Their challenging gameplay and storytelling inspired the creation of the "Soulslike" subgenre, which includes later FromSoftware titles such as Bloodborne (2015), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022).
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator and director of the Dark Souls series and other successful FromSoftware games like Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, has been the company's representative director and president since 2014. Naotoshi Zin remains an advisor. Miyazaki is responsible for designing and directing most of FromSoftware's games, in addition to his leadership role. FromSoftware is mainly owned by Kadokawa Corporation (70%), with smaller shares held by Sixjoy Hong Kong (16%), a subsidiary of Tencent, and Sony Interactive Entertainment (14%). The company typically self-publishes its games in Japan and collaborates with international publishers such as Agetec, Sony, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Sega, Capcom, Nintendo, and Koch Media.
History
FromSoftware was founded in Tokyo on November 1, 1986, by Naotoshi Zin. The company started by creating business software but later focused on making video games. Its first game, King's Field, was released for the PlayStation in 1994. This game was successful in Japan but not released in other regions. However, King's Field II, released in 1995, was available in North America and Europe in 1996. After releasing King's Field III in 1996, FromSoftware made other games, including Echo Night and Shadow Tower in 1998. In 1997, the company released Armored Core, the first game in its popular Armored Core series.
With the release of the PlayStation 2 in 2000, FromSoftware created two role-playing games: Eternal Ring and Evergrace. That same year, the company released Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tool, a software development kit (SDK) for Windows that allows users to create their own King's Field games. In 2003, FromSoftware published Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, a stealth game that combines action and adventure. In 2004, the company acquired the rights to the Tenchu series, except for the first two games, from Activision. It also released King's Field IV, Shadow Tower Abyss, and the Lost Kingdoms series for the GameCube. During this time, FromSoftware made some games exclusive to the Xbox, such as Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit, Otogi: Myth of Demons, Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors, Metal Wolf Chaos, and Chromehounds. In 2005, FromSoftware began creating licensed games based on anime properties under the name Another Century's Episode. That year, the company also hosted the first internship in the video game industry, allowing students to learn game development using a tool called Adventure Player for the PlayStation Portable. In May 2008, FromSoftware completed a stock split.
FromSoftware gained widespread popularity in the 2010s, especially after releasing Demon's Souls in 2009 and Dark Souls in 2011. Dark Souls started a trilogy that inspired a subgenre of action role-playing games called Soulsborne. This subgenre includes Dark Souls II (2014), Bloodborne (2015), Dark Souls III (2016), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022). These games have won many awards and are often listed as some of the greatest video games ever made. In April 2014, Kadokawa Corporation announced plans to buy FromSoftware from its former shareholder, Transcosmos. Later that year, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Souls series, became company president and was later named representative director. In January 2016, FromSoftware opened a studio in Fukuoka to create computer-generated imagery (CGI) assets for its games.
In August 2022, Sixjoy Hong Kong (a subsidiary of Tencent) and Sony Interactive Entertainment each acquired 16.25% and 14.09% of FromSoftware, leaving 69.66% owned by Kadokawa. In November 2022, a report by GamesIndustry.biz stated that FromSoftware paid its employees below standard wages. The company had 423 employees as of June 2024. In October 2024, FromSoftware announced a 12% salary increase for its employees. In April 2025, the company revealed The Duskbloods, a multiplayer-focused soulslike game directed by Miyazaki for the Nintendo Switch 2.