Sony has added another studio to its growing family, announcing today its acquisition of Firewalk Studios. If you have never heard of Firewalk Studios, you are not alone because it is still working on its first original AAA multiplayer game. Why would Sony acquire a company that hasn’t even finished a game yet? Well, according to head of PlayStation Studios, Herman Hulst, Sony has been “impressed by the team’s ambitions to build a modern multiplayer game that connects players in new and innovative ways.”
PlayStation and Firewalk originally announced a publishing partnership in 2021, three years after Firewalk Studios was founded as part of ProbablyMonsters. ProbablyMonsters was created by former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan. Last year, Sony acquired Bungie, the makers of Destiny and the original creators of the Halo franchise.
Every once in a while, you get to have an adventure.
Over five years ago, we jumped at the chance to set up a new studio and build a new IP from the ground up. Recalling our own favorite times with games, we founded Firewalk Studios around the idea of delivering memorable moments – those amazing, had-to-be-there times shared with other people. Our goal is to deliver those shared moments of joy to players around the world.
Building a new studio at scale has been an incredibly exhilarating and relentlessly daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve been supported by great partners throughout – ProbablyMonsters helped turbocharge us in setting up the studio, and Sony has been supporting our project and our creative vision from the beginning.
We’ve assembled some of the most inspired talent in the industry to deliver awe-inspiring new worlds and experiences filled with great core gameplay. The excitement of building something new for players has thoroughly energized the team and our partners, and we’ve been playtesting every day.
Today we’re taking the next natural step and joining PlayStation Studios. We’ve worked closely with Hermen and the very talented team at PlayStation for years, helping to make our new game even better. To join PlayStation Studios is to formally become part of a family that has produced many of the most storied games of our age, and we are honored.
We want to thank everyone who’s supported us along the way and those looking forward to our future. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we can’t wait for the next chapter in this adventure.
– Tony Hsu and Ryan Ellis
Studio Head and Game Director, Firewalk Studios
