Sony has acquired Firewalk Studios, the 20th member of the PlayStation Studios ‘family’

Sony has acquired Washington-based Firewalk Studios.

The developer, which was part of independent game company ProbablyMonsters, was already working in partnership with PlayStation on a yet-unannounced multiplayer IP, and will now be fully acquired by the console maker.

“The studio shares our passion for creating inspiring worlds grounded in exceptional gameplay, and we want to continue to invest in their mission,” PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst said in a statement.

“We’re excited for Firewalk to bring their technical and creative expertise to PlayStation Studios to help grow our live service operations and deliver something truly special for gamers.”

He added: “We’re thrilled to expand upon our collaborative relationship with Firewalk Studios and formally welcome the team to PlayStation Studios.

“We’ve had the privilege of working with ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk for several years and our teams share the same ambition to create meaningful experiences for gamers.

“Firewalk’s innovative approach to connected storytelling and its commitment to high-quality gameplay continues to exceed our expectations. I think fans will be very pleased when they see what Firewalk has in store for them.”

The company, which has yet to release a game, was founded in 2018. “We started Firewalk Studios in 2018 with this kind of spark at the heart of our games,” studio head Tony Hsu said in 2021 when the original partnership was announced.

“It’s why I used to stay up until 2 AM playing Phantasy Star Online night after night with the same group from Server 9. Or how the neighbors who showed up at my NYC apartment to complain about the noise, ended up jamming with us in Rock Band instead.”

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Of the acquisition, SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan said: “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.”

“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.”

Firewalk is the 20th studio to join the PlayStation Studios lineup, according to Sony.