Nintendo to Acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, Rename It Nintendo Studios Singapore

Nintendo announced it has entered a share transfer agreement to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd., planning to purchase 80% of the Singapore studio on April 1, 2026 and rename the business Nintendo Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd. The company said the move is intended "to strengthen the development structure of the Nintendo Group," and added that BNSS "will become a subsidiary of Nintendo and will continue its development operations under the new name Nintendo Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd."

The purchase agreement was disclosed in Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s November 27, 2025 release and specifies the transaction is "subject to the satisfaction of all relevant customary conditions for transactions of this nature." Nintendo will acquire the remaining shares "after a certain period, once the subsidiary's operations have stabilized," with no firm date provided for that final transfer.

Bandai Namco Studios Singapore is registered at 21 Media Circle, #09-01/03, Infinite Studios, Singapore 138562. The studio was founded on March 1, 2013, lists capital stock of SGD 1,000,000 as of November 2025, and names Makoto Ishii as its representative director and CEO. Nintendo's disclosure describes BNSS's business activities as game development, including the creation of in-game art assets.

Operationally, BNSS is presented as a support studio specializing in visual assets. Recalbox characterized the Singapore office as a support studio established in 2013 that "does not develop complete games but is an expert in producing visual assets: 3D models, environments, animations," and noted the studio has contributed to Nintendo projects, notably within the Splatoon franchise. Nintendo's release and subsequent reporting say BNSS "has contributed to the development of Nintendo titles, including the Splatoon series," and some outlets, including an original report on the deal, list credits such as Splatoon 3, Pokémon Snap, and Tekken 7/8.

Industry context for the transaction points to a pattern of targeted deals by Nintendo after a traditionally non-acquisitive history. GamesIndustry.biz and Nintendo disclosures reference prior buys including Next Level Games in 2021, acquisitions related to SRD and Dynamo Pictures which became Nintendo Pictures, the 2024 purchase of Shiver Entertainment, and Nintendo increasing its stake in Monolith Soft. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has signaled in shareholder Q2 comments that the company intends further acquisitions to bolster development capacity.

Commentary on immediate impact is limited. Recalbox argues that while "the immediate financial impact is expected to be limited," bringing BNSS in-house could "help Nintendo accelerate or streamline certain development steps in the medium term" and states the studio will work exclusively on Nintendo projects after April 1, 2026. Key facts still unreported include any purchase price, exact timing and terms for the remaining 20% acquisition, and specifics on staff transitions or changes to BNSS's client relationships beyond Nintendo; those items remain to be confirmed by Nintendo, Bandai Namco Holdings, or Bandai Namco Studios Inc.