FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Founded by Naotoshi Zin on November 1, 1986 as a business software developer, the company released their first video game, King's Field, for the PlayStation in 1994. Its success shifted FromSoftware to focus fully on games, with them producing two more King's Field games before the first release of the mecha shooter series Armored Core in 1997.
By the 2000s, FromSoftware's releases included the Echo Night, Shadow Tower, Lost Kingdoms, Otogi, and Another Century's Episode series. The company achieved breakout success by the 2010s with Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy of action role-playing games. Often cited among the greatest video games ever made, their emphasis on high difficulty and environmental storytelling led to the creation of the Soulslike subgenre, which also includes other later FromSoftware titles such as Bloodborne (2015), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022).
Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator and director of the Dark Souls series, as well as other successful FromSoftware titles like Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring, has served as FromSoftware's representative director and president since 2014, with Zin remaining as an advisor. Miyazaki directs and designs the majority of the company's games in addition to his executive duties. FromSoftware is primarily owned by Kadokawa Corporation (70%), with minority stakes by Sixjoy Hong Kong (16%), a subsidiary of Tencent, and Sony Interactive Entertainment (14%). FromSoftware usually self-publishes in Japan, and has partnered with international publishers, including Agetec, Sony, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Sega, Capcom, and Koch Media.
History
1980s and 1990s Founded in Tokyo on November 1, 1986, by Naotoshi Zin, FromSoftware originally began as a developer of business applications before shifting focus to video games. The company released its first game, King's Field, for the PlayStation in 1994. Despite its commercial success in Japan, the game was not released in other regions, although 1995's King's Field II was released in both North America and Europe in 1996. After releasing King's Field III in 1996, FromSoftware went on to release the horror game Echo Night and the 1998 role-playing game Shadow Tower. In 1997, FromSoftware released Armored Core, the first release in its flagship Armored Core series of mecha combat games.
2000s With the launch of the PlayStation 2 in 2000, FromSoftware released the role-playing games Eternal Ring and Evergrace. The same year, FromSoftware released Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tool, an SDK for Windows that lets users develop their own King's Field games. In 2003, FromSoftware published Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, a stealth game that combines action and adventure elements. In 2004, FromSoftware bought the rights to the series, excluding the first two games, from Activision. The company also released King's Field IV and Shadow Tower Abyss, in addition to the Lost Kingdoms series for the GameCube. The company also made a few games exclusive to the Xbox around this time, such as Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit, Otogi: Myth of Demons, Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors, Metal Wolf Chaos, and Chromehounds. In 2005, FromSoftware would start to produce a series of licensed games based on the various anime properties under the banner Another Century's Episode. The same year, the company hosted the video game industry's first internship that let students experience game development through a game creation kit, Adventure Player, for the PlayStation Portable. In May 2008, FromSoftware underwent a stock split.
2010s
FromSoftware achieved breakout success in the 2010s, spurred by the release of Demon's Souls (2009) and Dark Souls (2011), the latter being the first entry in a trilogy whose success led to the creation of a subgenre of action role-playing games known as Soulsborne games. These include Dark Souls II (2014), Bloodborne (2015), Dark Souls III (2016), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022), all of which have received several awards and are often listed among the greatest video games of all time. In April 2014, Kadokawa Corporation announced its intention to purchase the company from former shareholder Transcosmos. Following other restructuring, Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki would be promoted to company president the following month and later given the title of representative director. In January 2016, FromSoftware established a studio in Fukuoka that focuses on creating computer-generated imagery (CGI) assets for its games.
2020s In August 2022, Sixjoy Hong Kong (a subsidiary of Tencent) and Sony Interactive Entertainment respectively acquired 16.25% and 14.09% of FromSoftware, leaving 69.66% to Kadokawa. In November 2022, a report by GamesIndustry.biz claimed that FromSoftware was paying its employees at sub-standard rates. The company had 423 employees . In October 2024, the developer announced a salary increase of approximately 12% for its employees. In April 2025, FromSoftware announced The Duskbloods, a multiplayer-focused soulslike game directed by Miyazaki for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Games + List of games developed by FromSoftware Year Title System International publisher 1994 King's Field PlayStation 1995 King's Field IIPlayStation 1996 King's Field IIIPlayStation ASCII Entertainment 1997 Armored CorePlayStation Sony Computer Entertainment Armored Core: Project PhantasmaPlayStation ASCII Entertainment 1998 Shadow TowerPlayStation Agetec Echo NightPlayStation Agetec 1999 Armored Core: Master of ArenaPlayStation Agetec Spriggan: Lunar VersePlayStation Frame Gride Dreamcast Echo Night 2: The Lord of Nightmares PlayStation 2000 Eternal Ring PlayStation 2 EvergracePlayStation 2 Armored Core 2PlayStation 2 The Adventures of Cookie & CreamPlayStation 2 2001 Armored Core 2: Another AgePlayStation 2 Forever KingdomPlayStation 2 Agetec King's Field IVPlayStation 2 2002 Armored Core 3PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable Lost Kingdoms GameCube Activision Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit Xbox Ubisoft Otogi: Myth of Demons Xbox Sega 2003 Silent Line: Armored Core PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable Agetec Thousand Land Xbox Lost Kingdoms II GameCube Activision Shadow Tower Abyss PlayStation 2 Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors Xbox Sega 2004 Echo Night: Beyond PlayStation 2 Armored Core: NexusPlayStation 2Agetec KuonPlayStation 2 Armored Core: Nine BreakerPlayStation 2 Armored Core: Formula Front PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 Metal Wolf Chaos Xbox 2005 Yoshitsune Eiyūden: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune PlayStation 2 Another Century's Episode PlayStation 2 Banpresto Armored Core: Last Raven PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable 2006 Enchanted Arms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Ubisoft Another Century's Episode 2 PlayStation 2 Banpresto Chromehounds Xbox 360Sega King's Field: Additional I PlayStation Portable King's Field: Additional II PlayStation Portable Armored Core 4 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2007 Nanpure VOW Nintendo DS Iraroji VOW Nintendo DS Another Century's Episode 3: The Final PlayStation 2 Banpresto 2008 Armored Core: For Answer PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Ubisoft Shadow Assault: Tenchu Xbox 360 2009 Inugami-ke no Ichizoku Nintendo DS Nintendo Ninja Blade Xbox 360, Windows Microsoft Game Studios Demon's Souls PlayStation 3 Yatsuhaka-mura Nintendo DS 2010 Another Century's Episode: R PlayStation 3 Banpresto Monster Hunter Diary PlayStation Portable Capcom 2011 Another Century's Episode Portable Namco Bandai Games Dark Souls PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows 2012 Armored Core V PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn PlayStation 3 Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Xbox 360 Capcom 2013 Armored Core: Verdict Day PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Namco Bandai Games 2014 Dark Souls II PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Bandai Namco Games 2015 Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One Bloodborne PlayStation 4 Sony Computer Entertainment 2016 Dark Souls III PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows Bandai Namco Entertainment 2018 Déraciné PlayStation 4 (PlayStation VR) Sony Interactive Entertainment 2019 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Stadia Activision 2022 Elden Ring PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 Bandai Namco Entertainment 2023 Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 2025 Elden Ring Nightreign PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 2026 The Duskbloods Nintendo Switch 2 FromSoftware, Nintendo
+ DLCs Year Title Game 2012 Artorias of the Abyss Dark Souls 2014 Crown of the Sunken King Dark Souls II Crown of the Old Iron King Crown of the Ivory King 2015 The Old Hunters Bloodborne 2016 Ashes of Ariandel Dark Souls III 2017 The Ringed City 2024 Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring 2025 The Forsaken Hollows Elden Ring Nightreign 2026 Tarnished Pack Elden Ring
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