Nintendo Co. agreed to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, a game development outfit specializing in visual assets, as the Kyoto-based gaming giant works to expand its production capacity.
The Japanese company said it will initially purchase 80% of the Singapore studio on April 1, 2026, with the remaining stake to follow once operations have settled. The entity, which has registered capital of S$1 million ($770,000), will be rebranded as Nintendo Studios Singapore.
Bandai Namco Studios Singapore has supported Nintendo projects including the Splatoon franchise, handling tasks such as character modeling, environment art and animation. The studio, founded in 2013, recruited talent from the shuttered LucasArts Singapore division, which had worked on the cancelled Star Wars 1313 project.
Nintendo characterized the deal as a move to strengthen its development structure, though the company downplayed any near-term financial impact, noting the transaction would have minimal effect on current fiscal year results.
The acquisition follows Nintendo’s 2022 purchase of animation studio Dynamo Pictures, now operating as Nintendo Pictures. That deal similarly aimed to bring external creative resources in-house.
For Bandai Namco, the sale trims an overseas support operation while maintaining ties with Nintendo through its Japan-based studios, which continue development work on titles including the Super Smash Bros. series.
