Cygames, the Japanese game developer behind titles like Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Granblue Fantasy, has announced the acquisition of domestic 3DCG and visual effects studio Griot Groove. The acquisition took effect on May 1, 2026, with Cygames purchasing all shares of Griot Groove, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

Cygames stated that the acquisition is aimed at improving the quality of its video content and making its video production process more efficient. No further details were shared about how Griot Groove will be integrated into Cygames’ existing operations.

Griot Groove has provided services to major publishers including Square Enix, Sega, Koei Tecmo, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The studio has credits on a number of high-profile recent titles such as Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Kirby Air Riders. Their anime work includes Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS, Chainsaw Man, and Tokyo Ghoul, among others.

This acquisition comes alongside a handful of other notable moves within the broader Cygames group. Cygames Pictures, its animation subsidiary, became a consolidated subsidiary of media and advertising company CyberAgent on February 27. Following that change, Cygames Pictures rebranded to Cypic on April 6, coinciding with the studio’s 10th anniversary.

Separately, Cygames previously launched a new subsidiary called Cygames AI Studio, based in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. The studio is focused on researching and developing AI technology for game creators. Cygames has also stated that generative AI is not currently used in any of its products, and that it will not implement generative AI into its products without giving prior notice.