Sony is acquiring Firewalk Studios from ProbablyMonsters to help build an “original AAA multiplayer game” for PlayStation 5 and PC, Sony announced on Thursday. Sony has been investing heavily in multiplayer games recently, acquiring Destiny maker Bungie and Jade Raymond-led Haven Interactive Studios last year, and it revealed in February 2022 that it’s planning to release more than 10 live service games before March 2026.
PlayStation acquires Firewalk Studios, which is building an ‘original AAA multiplayer game’
PlayStation acquires Firewalk Studios, which is building an ‘original AAA multiplayer game’
We don’t know much about the new game just yet, but Sony’s head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, noted in a PlayStation blog post that “we continue to be impressed by the team’s ambitions to build a modern multiplayer game that connects players in new and innovative ways.” In a press release, he added, “I think fans will be very pleased when they see what Firewalk has in store for them.” Firewalk Studios is led by Tony Hsu, who was GM and SVP of Destiny at Activision, and Ryan Ellis, previously creative director at Bungie.
Sony is perhaps best known for its expansive and cinematic single-player games, but it’s now looking to bolster its multiplayer offerings as well — which could prove to be an important decision once Microsoft’s heavily scrutinized acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard goes through. In addition to this new game from Firewalk, Sony now owns the popular sci-fi shooter Destiny 2, has a multiplayer game in development at Haven, and is making a multiplayer title set in the growing Horizon universe at Guerrilla Games.