Famous Anime Producer And 'Elden Ring' Parent Company Owner Charged With Bribery

Elden Ring sold so well that we assumed the people behind it only answered to the god of video games, but it turns out they have a parent company, one that seems to have an actual PS1-era video game boss calling the shots. FromSoft belongs to the Kadokawa Corporation, a huge Japanese company led by Tsugihiko Kadokawa, a guy whose name – as well as what you're about to read – leads us to believe he got to the top of the corporate ladder for reasons other than totally rocking at his job. Kadokawa has just been arrested and formally charged for reportedly bribing checks notes the goddamn Olympics Committee. He gave the Olympics governing body over $450,000 for a sponsorship deal that ended up earning Kadokawa the rights to publish the official guidebooks and records of the Olympic and Paralympic games. 

That might seem completely out of the blue, but Kadokawa is a man of many far-reaching tentacles interests. He also doubles as one of the most influential anime producers in history, with credits of stuff such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time under his belt. On top of all the games and anime, Kadokawa also served as the chair Tokyo International Film Festival, which we assume is the Japanese version of the Toronto International Film Festival because they share the same acronym.

The scandal doesn't stop with Kadokawa, as at least two more employees have been arrested in connection with the alleged bribe. The Kadokawa corporation quickly announced Tsugihiko Kadokawa's resignation, so now we just have to hope he doesn't escape justice to enter a giant mech in search of revenge.

While Kadokawa still owns 70% of FromSoftware, Sony owns the other 30%. Sony claims they might create movies and tv shows based on FromSoftware properties such as the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne – no way that'll turn out poorly.

Top Image: FromSoftware