Sega Has No Intention Of Being Acquired, Says COO After Microsoft Revelation

Despite Microsoft's recently revealed interest in acquiring it in the last few years, Sega has no intention of being acquired at the moment, according to the chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Utsumi was asked about the possibility of being acquired by another company. To that, he answered, "No, not now." However, he declined to answer whether Microsoft approached Sega with a formal acquisition offer.

"We are very close with Microsoft and have a great relationship with its management team," Utsumi continued. "Microsoft particularly has a high regard for us. Xbox’s Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are really serious about values that video game fans emphasize."

The filings from the FTC vs. Microsoft case revealed that, in 2020, Microsoft considered acquiring Sega in order to bolster its Game Pass subscription service. Some other companies under consideration were Niantic and Square Enix. Japan and the rest of Asia has been a historically weak market for Xbox, and owning companies such as Sega and Square Enix would have given Microsoft a much-needed foot in the door in those regions.

Sega's game release schedule for later this year is quite impressive, with Sonic Superstars, Like a Dragon Gaiden, and Persona 5 Tactica scheduled to launch in the fall.