Housemarque joins PlayStation Studios

Many started wondering if Sony would respond when Xbox Game Studios started purchasing a bunch of new developers a few years ago, and one of the most popular theories has been that the Japanese company was negotiating with Housemarque. That's why I just had to ask if the Finnish studio would consider a move like that when I interviewed its marketing director, Mikael Haveri, earlier this year, and now we know why Sony asked us not to share his answer.

Because Sony has finally confirmed that Housemarque is joining PlayStation Studios as a first-party developer. Not exactly surprising considering the two have been extremely close ever since Super Stardust HD came out in 2007. The critical success of Returnal didn't hurt either. Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder and managing director at Housemarque, has this to say about the move:

"Today is a big day for Housemarque and it has been over 26 years in the making. Our strong partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment started with Super Stardust HD on PS3 and since then we have made arcade inspired games for all of the PlayStation platforms. With Returnal for PS5, our most recent release, our biggest foray into third-person action gaming solidified our voice and brand in the industry as delivering unique and quality player experiences.

We are so excited to finally join the PlayStation Studios family! This gives our studio a clear future and a stable opportunity to continue delivering on gameplay centric approaches, while still experimenting with new methods of narrative delivery and pushing the boundaries of this modern artform. Locally here in Helsinki, this also means that we will officially expand the PlayStation family to a growing industry hub and secure the legacy of the oldest game studio in Finland.

Finally, what this means for our fans? We at Housemarque are gamers, and we have grown from the need to perfect and tinker with facets of games that we have found most fascinating. We are also not known for shying away from running our own course and trying out new combinations. With the backing of SIE and its family of studios supporting us, we can truly grow into our place in the industry and show what Housemarque can create with no limitations. We can't wait to show everyone what will be in store in the upcoming years, and we hope to usher in more lasting memories and exhilarating titles for the next quarter century and beyond."