Statement from Capcom regarding the possibility of an acquisition by Microsoft

Capcom would not be receptive to an acquisition by Microsoft, should the Xbox manufacturer attempt to entice them with such a proposal, according to a high-ranking company representative. This hypothetical situation was considered in light of the Japanese gaming giant's efforts to sustain its unprecedented momentum, which has led to Capcom's most successful year to date.

Microsoft is on the verge of completing the largest deal in the history of the gaming industry after receiving provisional approval from the CMA in late September for its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. With this blockbuster acquisition offer nearing its conclusion, some industry observers are already speculating whether the company's shopping spree will show signs of slowing down in the near future.

But even if that is not the case, it would be futile to target Capcom as Chief Operating Officer Haruhiro Tsujimoto has revealed that he would "gracefully decline" any acquisition proposal from Microsoft. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Tsujimoto explained this stance and expressed the view that the two companies would be "better off if we were equal partners." Prior to addressing the question of a potential acquisition by Microsoft, the senior executive cited organic growth and internal talent development as the optimal path for Capcom to remain competitive in the future. This perspective contrasts with Microsoft's gaming strategy, which prioritizes acquisitions to rapidly strengthen the company's content library and market penetration.

Given the current historical momentum that Capcom is experiencing, it is not particularly surprising that the company has stated that it is not considering any takeover offers. Admittedly, even Activision Blizzard was only 12 months away from its most successful year when it agreed to Microsoft's acquisition proposal. However, this deal occurred at a time when the company already had immense presence on all relevant gaming platforms.

Meanwhile, Capcom is only now intensifying its push into the mobile sector, following the recent confirmation that the last two main entries in the Resident Evil series will be available for iOS devices by the end of 2023. Tsujimoto explained that he expects such AAA mobile experiences to contribute to the company's goal of achieving 100 million sales in the current fiscal year, which began on April 1. In this context, the senior executive stated that Capcom had wanted to bring its high-budget games to mobile devices much earlier, but until recently, internal technology was unable to support these ambitions.

Capcom is not the only company that has recently ruled out any acquisition talks with Microsoft or other interested parties. Larian Studios did the same in early August, with the CEO stating that they have no intention of selling the developer of Baldur's Gate 3 to Microsoft, even though they find such speculations "flattering."