PlayStation acquires Firewalk Studios as it continues work on triple-A multiplayer exclusive
To "help grow our live service operations".
Sony has acquired developer Firewalk Studios from Bungie boss Harold Ryan's ProbablyMonsters collective, making it PlayStation's 20th first-party studio.
Firewalk was founded in 2018 as a subsidiary of ProbablyMonsters and is yet to release its first game. However, the studio announced a partnership with Sony in 2021 to create a new PlayStation-exclusive triple-A title focused on delivering "memorable multiplayer moments".
In a PlayStation Blog post announcing the acquisition, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst explained it was Firewalk's work on its still mysterious title - a project being headed by former Destiny creative director Ryan Ellis - that lead Sony to acquire the developer.
"Since announcing our publishing partnership...in 2021, we continue to be impressed by the team's ambitions to build a modern multiplayer game that connects players in new and innovative ways," Hulst wrote. "The studio shares our passion for creating inspiring worlds grounded in exceptional gameplay, and we want to continue to invest in their mission."
Hulst added Firewalk will bring its "technical and creative expertise to PlayStation Studios to help grow our live service operations and deliver something truly special for gamers".
Sony has, of course, gone all-in on live service titles in recent years, with the company previously saying it expects to release 12 live service games by 2025, six of those due by the end of this year. We've heard very little in the way of specifics about any of these projects, despite Sony's ambitious schedule, but we do at least know some of the studios involved.
Bungie, which Sony aquired in 2022 to help shore up its live service operations, is working on a new franchise code-named Matter, and there are PlayStation-exclusive online/live service games on the way from Sony's London Studio, Jade Raymond's Haven Studios (which Sony purchased last year), Deviation Games, and Naughty Dog - which has been working on a new The Last of Us multiplayer game for years now.
Additionally, Guerrilla Games is developing a new co-op focused online Horizon project, and its previously been reported a Twisted Metal game is in the works at UK developer Firesprite.