Sony is acquiring Bungie, the game developer behind the “Halo” and “Destiny” game franchises, in a deal valued at $3.6 billion, the two companies announced Monday.
As part of the agreement, Bungie will be an independent subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, pending regulatory review. But Bungie’s games will continue to be self-published and released across multiple platforms, and the studio will still maintain its creative independence, according to a statement released by Bungie’s Pete Parsons.
The video game developer will continue to be run by its board of directors, chaired by Parsons, as well as Bungie’s current management team.
The deal comes on the heels of Microsoft’s all-cash purchase of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion earlier this month, putting them just behind Sony in terms of the largest gaming companies by revenue. “Destiny 2,” which is an online shooter self-published by Bungie after its split from Activision in 2019, will remain on multiple platforms.
“Bungie has created and continues to evolve some of the world’s most beloved videogame franchises and, by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gameplay experiences, they bring together millions of people around the world,” Kenichiro Yoshida, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, said in a statement. “We will utilize the Sony Group’s diverse array of entertainment and technology assets to support further evolution of Bungie and its ability to create iconic worlds across multiple platforms and media.”
“This is a strategic step towards continuing to evolve the gaming experiences that we build. Bungie’s expertise in delivering a world-class service approach and long-term community engagement is extremely compelling and will support the development of several future live services titles from PlayStation Studios. Equally, we see the exceptional skills that PlayStation Studios possess offers the potential to enhance Bungie’s existing and future IP portfolio,” Jim Ryan, president and CEO for Sony Interactive Entertainment, said.
“With SIE, the potential for our universes is unlimited. Our future games will take bold steps into unexplored spaces for Bungie, continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, and will always be built on a foundation of creating meaningful, lifelong friendships and memories,” Parsons said in a statement. “We remain in charge of our destiny. We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games. We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play. With SIE’s support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision. If this speaks to you, and you want to help us put a dent in the universe, we are hiring across all disciplines for ‘Destiny 2’ and for all new worlds beyond.”