FromSoftware facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FromSoftware, Inc.

Native name	株式会社フロム・ソフトウェア
Romanized name	Kabushiki gaisha furomu sofutowea
Type	Subsidiary (kabushiki gaisha)
Industry	Video games
Founded	November 1, 1986; 38 years ago (1986-11-01)
Founder	Naotoshi Zin
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Key people	Hidetaka Miyazaki (representative director and president)
Products	King's Field Armored Core Demon's Souls Dark Souls Bloodborne Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Elden Ring
Owner	Kadokawa Corporation (70%) Sixjoy Hong Kong (16%) Sony Interactive Entertainment (14%)
Number of employees	456 (May 2025)

FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese company that makes and publishes video games. It was started by Naotoshi Zin on November 1, 1986. At first, they made software for businesses.

Their first video game was King's Field, released in 1994 for the PlayStation. This game was very popular in Japan. Because of its success, FromSoftware decided to focus only on making games. They made two more King's Field games. Then, in 1997, they released Armored Core, which is a series about giant robots called mecha.

In the 2000s, FromSoftware released many game series. These included Echo Night, Shadow Tower, Lost Kingdoms, Otogi, and Another Century's Episode. The company became very famous in the 2010s. This was thanks to games like Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls series. These are action role-playing games known for being very challenging.

These games are often called some of the greatest video games ever made. They are known for their high difficulty and for telling stories through the game world. This style of game even created a new type of game called "Soulslike". Other popular FromSoftware games in this style include Bloodborne (2015), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022).

Hidetaka Miyazaki created and directed Dark Souls. He became the president of FromSoftware in 2014. Naotoshi Zin still advises the company. Miyazaki directs and designs most of the company's games. Most of FromSoftware is owned by Kadokawa Corporation (70%). Smaller parts are owned by Sixjoy Hong Kong (16%) and Sony Interactive Entertainment (14%). FromSoftware usually publishes its own games in Japan. For other countries, they work with partners like Bandai Namco Entertainment and Sony.

The Story of FromSoftware

Early Years: 1980s and 1990s

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the president of FromSoftware and director of many of their games.

FromSoftware started in Tokyo on November 1, 1986. Naotoshi Zin founded the company. It first made software for businesses. Later, it changed to focus on video games.

Their first game, King's Field, came out in 1994 for the PlayStation. It was a big hit in Japan. This game was not released in other countries. However, King's Field II came out in North America and Europe in 1996. After King's Field III in 1996, FromSoftware released the horror game Echo Night. They also made the role-playing game Shadow Tower in 1998. In 1997, FromSoftware launched Armored Core. This was the first game in their popular series about giant robots.

Growing in the 2000s

When the PlayStation 2 came out in 2000, FromSoftware released new role-playing games. These included Eternal Ring and Evergrace. In 2003, FromSoftware published Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven. This was a stealth game with action and adventure. In 2004, FromSoftware bought the rights to the Tenchu series. They also released King's Field IV and Shadow Tower Abyss. The Lost Kingdoms series for the GameCube also came out.

Around this time, FromSoftware made some games just for the Xbox. These included Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit, Otogi: Myth of Demons, and Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors. Other Xbox games were Metal Wolf Chaos and Chromehounds. In 2005, FromSoftware began making games based on anime shows. These were part of the Another Century's Episode series. That same year, the company offered a special program for students. It let them learn about game development using a game creation kit.

Big Success in the 2010s

FromSoftware became very successful in the 2010s. This started with Demon's Souls (2009) and Dark Souls (2011). Dark Souls was the first game in a series of three. Its success led to a new type of action role-playing game called "Soulslike" games.

These games include Dark Souls II (2014), Bloodborne (2015), Dark Souls III (2016), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Elden Ring (2022). All these games have won many awards. They are often listed among the greatest video games of all time. In April 2014, Kadokawa Corporation bought FromSoftware. The creator of the Souls games, Hidetaka Miyazaki, became the company president in May 2014. In January 2016, FromSoftware opened a studio in Fukuoka. This studio creates computer-generated images (CGI) for their games.

Recent Developments: 2020s

In August 2022, Sixjoy Hong Kong and Sony Interactive Entertainment bought parts of FromSoftware. Sixjoy Hong Kong (part of Tencent) bought 16.25%. Sony bought 14.09%. Kadokawa still owns the largest part, 69.66%. In November 2022, a report said that FromSoftware was increasing employee salaries. The company had 423 employees in June 2024. In October 2024, they announced another salary increase of about 12% for their staff. In April 2025, FromSoftware announced The Duskbloods. This is a multiplayer Soulslike game directed by Miyazaki for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Games Made by FromSoftware

Game Expansions

See also

In Spanish: FromSoftware para niños