Sony Announces Acquisition of Firewalk Studios
Sony announces that it has reached an agreement with ProbablyMonsters Inc. to acquire Firewalk Studios. Firewalk will join PlayStation Studios as the 20th studio within their first-party lineup.
Established in 2018 and located in Washington State, Firewalk is an independent AAA game company. The team at Firewalk boasts numerous industry veterans with extensive game development experience, such as CEO Harold Ryan, who formerly served as Bungie’s CEO, president, and chairman. Studio head Tony Hsu held a previous role as general manager at Activision, while game director Ryan Ellis served as Bungie’s creative director.
“Firewalk Studios is led by a world-class team that is highly experienced and deeply passionate about creating exceptional multiplayer games that foster memorable shared experiences,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “I’m confident the studio’s upcoming project will be a robust addition to PlayStation Studios’ portfolio, and its live service and technology expertise will be instrumental in helping grow PlayStation’s reach.”
In April 2021, Sony announced a collaboration with ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk to develop original multiplayer AAA games for PlayStation 5 and PC. Sony claims that following the acquisition, Firewalk will collaborate with world-class development teams, including Bungie and Haven Studios, to define the next generation of gaming experiences for PlayStation gamers.
Firewalk currently has nearly 150 employees and continues to grow. Post-acquisition, its leadership team will manage the studio’s day-to-day operations in conjunction with the PlayStation Studios external development team. Due to contractual obligations, the terms of the transaction, including the acquisition cost, have not been disclosed.
