13 may be an unlucky number for some… but perhaps not if a development team like Housemarque is joining in as the thirteenth developer to join the PlayStation Studios family. Sony Interactive Entertainment has today announced that they have completed their acquisition of Housemarque Oy (“Housemarque”), a long-time partner of their company. Being behind eight PlayStation-exclusive games, most recently the roguelike third-person shooter Returnal, this acquisition very likely indicates that fans can expect to see more of their games exclusively on the PlayStation 5 in the coming years.
The day-to-day operations will continue to be run by Housemarque’s current management team in conjunction with PlayStation Studios External Development team. Terms of this transaction including the acquisition cost are not disclosed due to contractual commitments.
Previous games developed by the Finnish video game developer include Resogun (PlayStation 4), Nex Machina (PlayStation 4, Windows PC) and Matterfall (PlayStation 4).
Housemarque has flexed its creative palette on a wide range of PlayStation games over the years that have continually showcased the power of our hardware. The addition of Housemarque to PlayStation Studios reiterates our commitment to elevating the best development teams in the industry and delivering new experiences that can only be found on the PlayStation platform.
Jim Ryan – President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment
With a proven track record of creating original games that feature best-in-class gameplay, Housemarque is a highly-accomplished studio and we couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome them to the PlayStation Studios family. With its gripping gameplay, haunting story and unforgiving world, Returnal has captivated the PlayStation audience and we’re looking forward to working alongside the team to bring to life their ambitious creative vision on future projects.
Hermen Hulst – Head of PlayStation Studios
After more than 15 years of successfully collaborating, we’re excited to amplify our potential even further and join PlayStation Studios. Returnal is a testament to our strong relationship with PlayStation Studios and the organisation believing in us to take a risk and give us the freedom to explore our creativity and develop something unique. We can’t wait to bring PlayStation fans more fresh, new experiences.
Ilari Kuittinen – Co-founder and Managing Director, Housemarque
