Sony Acquires Another Studio Headed By Bungie Veterans

Sony has officially acquired Firewalk Studios from its previous parent company, ProbablyMonsters Inc. Firewalk has worked on Call of Duty, Destiny, Apex Legends, Halo and other titles since it was formed in 2018, and says that its philosophy is "rooted in strong gameplay" and inspiring art. Sony hasn't revealed how much it paid for the studio, which has nearly 150 employees and is still growing.

"We're thrilled to expand upon our collaborative relationship with Firewalk Studios and formally welcome the team to PlayStation Studios," PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst said in a press statement.

"We've had the privilege of working with ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk for several years and our teams share the same ambition to create meaningful experiences for gamers. Firewalk's innovative approach to connected storytelling and its commitment to high-quality gameplay continues to exceed our expectations. I think fans will be very pleased when they see what Firewalk has in store for them."

Sony has slowly acquired several studios over the last few years, as Returnal developer Housemarque, PC port specialist Nixxes Software, The Playroom developer Firesprite, Jade Raymond's Haven studio, and Destiny 2 studio Bungie have all joined PlayStation. Sony also has ambitious plans for the future of PlayStation, as in a recent earnings results call, the company said that it is expecting to launch 10 live-service games by March 2026.

As Sony's 20th studio acquisition, Firewalk will be helping the company realize its live service dreams alongside other Sony's other studios working on these projects. "Firewalk will collaborate alongside world-class development teams, including Bungie and Haven Interactive Studios, to define a new generation of live service experiences for PlayStation gamers," Sony said.

The company had previously signed a deal to be the "exclusive publishing partner" for the first title from Firewalk, which at the time, was described as a multiplayer title based on an original IP. The studio features some big talent amongst is leadership, including Activision's former Destiny boss Tony Hsu, former Bungie creative director Ryan Ellis, and Irrational Games' Elena Siegman.