Nintendo Studios Singapore to be established in 2026 after Japanese gaming giant’s acquisition

Entertainment juggernaut Nintendo announced on Nov 27 that it will be acquiring Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, the local arm of Japanese multinational video game publisher and developer Bandai Namco.

Nintendo boasts a huge array of hit video game properties under its belt, including franchises such as Mario, The Legend Of Zelda and Pokemon.

In September, it

announced the establishment of a local entity in Singapore

with “the aim of accelerating Nintendo’s business in South-east Asia”.

Nintendo said in a statement on its website that its latest move was “for the purpose of strengthening its development structure”.

As a result of the share acquisition, Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, which is located in Media Circle, will become a subsidiary of Nintendo and continue its development operations under the new name, Nintendo Studios Singapore.

“Bandai Namco Studios Singapore was established as one of Bandai Namco Group’s overseas bases and is a development company with strong expertise in creating in-game art assets,” said Nintendo in its statement.

“It has contributed to the development of Nintendo titles, including the Splatoon series, and has an ongoing business relationship with Nintendo.”

Nintendo plans to acquire 80 per cent of Bandai Namco Studios Singapore’s shares on April 1, 2026, with the remaining shares to be “acquired after a certain period” once the subsidiary’s operations have stabilised.

“This acquisition will have only a minor effect on Nintendo’s results for this fiscal year,” it noted in its statement.

Bandai Namco Studios Singapore was established in 2013 as an overseas subsidiary focused on game development, including the creation of in-game art assets.

To date, it has worked on games such as Ace Combat 7, Soul Calibur VI, Splatoon 3, Tekken 7 and Tekken 8, contributing to art, illustrations, character modelling and animation, among other aspects of those games.