Nintendo kjøper opp Bandai Namco Singapore Studio fullt ut

Nintendo will assume full ownership of Bandai Namco Singapore under a newly announced agreement that places the studio inside Nintendo’s internal development structure by spring 2026. The move extends a long partnership between the companies and positions the Singapore team for a larger role as Nintendo prepares its next hardware cycle. A press release issued by Nintendo confirms that the company will take control of 80 percent of the Singapore studio’s shares on April 1, 2026. The remaining shares will transfer later, once Nintendo completes a stabilization period meant to manage operational and staffing adjustments.

The acquisition gives Nintendo direct access to a team with established experience inside several long-running franchises, including its most significant collaboration to date, Splatoon 3. Released in September 2022, the title became the Singapore studio’s most commercially successful project and reflected a close partnership with Nintendo EPD. The team also handled late-stage development work on Soul Calibur 6, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and Taiko no Tatsujin: VR Festival. The studio was founded in 2013 alongside a Vancouver branch to expand Bandai Namco’s reach across Asian and Western markets.

List of Bandai Namco Singapore’s titles:

• Splatoon 3
• Soul Calibur 6
• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Taiko no Tatsujin: VR Festival

The rebranded Nintendo Studios Singapore will continue operating under its current structure after the initial transfer. Nintendo states that the acquisition will have only a minor impact on its financial outlook for the current fiscal year, though the company expects long-term strategic value from strengthening in-house production capacity. The timing aligns with the winding down of major content updates for Splatoon 3 more than a year ago. Nintendo’s interest signals an intent to secure internal oversight of the multiplayer franchise as the company plans for future entries likely tied to the next Switch generation.

Compared to its biggest console competitors, Nintendo has taken a slower and more selective approach to studio acquisitions. Sony expanded its internal roster to more than 20 studios in the past few years, adding Bungie and Firewalk Studios in 2023 and Kadokawa Corporation in 2024. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 brought one of the industry’s largest publishers under the Xbox umbrella. Nintendo’s recent acquisitions have focused on smaller, specialized teams. In 2024, the company purchased Shiver Entertainment from Embracer Group. Shiver built a reputation for porting major titles such as Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat 1, and Guitar Hero releases. Later that year, Nintendo completed its ownership of Monolith Soft, though it had controlled nearly all of the Xenoblade Chronicles developer since 2011.

Other additions this decade include SRD, a support studio working with Nintendo since the NES era, and Next Level Games, known for Luigi’s Mansion 3, Mario Strikers entries, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Nintendo also acquired the animation studio previously known as Dynamo Pictures in 2022. That team has contributed to game cinematics and film projects, including motion capture work tied to Death Stranding 2.

The decision to bring Bandai Namco Singapore in-house arrives at a moment when Nintendo faces rising expectations for internal output. The Switch 2 continues to outsell the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, though both Sony and Microsoft are positioned with larger first-party networks. Nintendo has also faced a historical lesson in second-party relationships. Rare, once central to Nintendo’s platform identity, shifted to Microsoft in 2002 after Nintendo declined to pursue a full acquisition. The success of Donkey Kong Bananza has renewed discussion among fans about the value of protecting key creative partnerships. Adding the Singapore team may be intended to safeguard the Splatoon series from similar fragmentation.

Nintendo has not detailed future projects for Nintendo Studios Singapore, but the acquisition ensures that development resources for upcoming Switch 2 titles will expand. The company’s long-running collaboration with Bandai Namco on Splatoon offers a proven template for larger-scale projects. Bringing the team inside Nintendo’s structure gives the platform holder direct control over staffing, scheduling, and franchise planning at a time when the competitive landscape for internal content is tightening.

Read also, Sony and Nintendo have begun filming the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda in Wellington, New Zealand. Production runs from November 2025 through early April 2026. The film follows Link as he confronts Ganon, who seeks an ancient relic of immense power, sending the hero across hazardous regions filled with creatures, dungeons, and puzzles.