Acquisition of Level-5 by Warner Bros.

On October 27, 2024, Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that it had acquired the Japanese video game publisher Level-5, Inc. for $20 million. Although Level-5 is now under the WB Games banner, it retains its headquarters in Osaka, Japan. Level-5 founder Akihiro Hino issued this statement regarding the transaction:"'When I visited the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California earlier this year, we knew this was where we wanted to be. The things they do with intellectual properties, whether it may be their classic Hollywood film library, their legendary animated franchise Looney Tunes, and DC superheroes like Batman and Superman, is unbelievable. Franchises we developed over the years like Professor Layton and Yo-kai Watch will feel right at home."Hino currently reports to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.