Since 2019, Sony Interactive has purchased 11 studios to bolster its lineup of first-party PlayStation titles. However, Sony’s track record with these purchases is spotty at best. Three of the studios have been shut down completely or will be in the near future, including Bluepoint.
The closure of Bluepoint is emblematic of Sony’s recent choices, which often cut off the studios’ long-term survival chances while chasing short-term success. All three of the studios that have been shuttered–including Bluepoint–were working on live-service games for Sony that were ultimately canceled.
There have been some success stories for Sony, particularly with Insomniac, the studio behind the best-selling Spider-Man games on PS4 and PS5. For some of the others, the jury is still out. Bungie’s fate may depend upon how well players receive Marathon when it hits next month.
The irony of Sony’s current console generation is that it seemingly doesn’t have room for new titles from many of PlayStation’s biggest franchises like Uncharted, Infamous, and Killzone. Instead, Sony has chased live-service games while neglecting the single-player experiences that helped push it to the top.
Now, GameSpot is looking back at all 11 of Sony’s studio purchases since 2019, and what became of them.
Insomniac
Insomniac had a storied history prior to being purchased by Sony in 2019. In its nearly 30-year run, Insomniac produced Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance, all of which spawned franchises.
In 2018, Insomniac and Sony released Marvel’s Spider-Man, one of the best superhero games ever made. Sony purchased the studio soon after, and put it to work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2, and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine game.
But even this successful studio hasn’t been immune from Sony’s layoffs.
Housemarque
Finnish developer Housemarque launched in 1995 with titles like Super Stardust, Alien Incident, The Reap, and Supreme Snowboarding. Since 2013, Housemarque has released games that were primarily made for Sony’s consoles.
Based on the success of Housemarque’s Returnal, Sony purchased the studio in 2021. Its next game, Saros, is slated for release on April 30.
Nixxes Software
For most of its three decades of existence, Nixxes Software has either ported games to other platforms or served as a support studio for AAA games.
Nixxes’ track record prior to being acquired includes the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy and Marvel’s Avengers. Since Sony purchased the studio in 2021, it has worked on Horizon: Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and more.
The next game on the horizon for Nixxes is Saros, where it provided support for Housemarque.
Firesprite
Before Firesprite was purchased by Sony in 2021, it had already built a relationship with the company and worked on The Playroom for PlayStation 4. It also partnered with Sony on Run Sackboy! Run! and The Persistence.
Since the acquisition, Firesprite’s only Sony game was the PSVR2 title Horizon: Call of the Mountain. The studio is co-developing the Theaters of War mode for Star Citizen, a crowd-funded game by Cloud Imperium Games that has been in early access since 2017.
It’s unclear if Firesprite is currently working on any titles for Sony.
Fabrik Games
Fabrik Games is a subsidy of Firesprite that was founded by Graeme Ankers, one of the co-founders of the latter. Sony purchased the studio shortly after buying Firesprite.
Since 2021, Fabrik hasn’t released any new titles, but it reportedly worked on the canceled Twisted Metal live-service game.
Bluepoint Games
This year would have been the 20th anniversary of Bluepoint Games, a studio that was renowned for its remakes. Bluepoint’s close relationship with Sony led to great remakes for God of War 1 and 2, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Shadow of the Colossus, and Demon’s Souls.
After Sony formally purchased the studio in 2021, it reportedly worked on a God of War live-service game that was ultimately canceled. Subsequently, Sony has announced that Bluepoint will shut down in March 2026.
Valkyrie Entertainment
Valkyrie Entertainment was founded in 2002, and it has worked as a support studio on over 100 games, including Sony’s God of War, Infamous, and Twisted Metal.
Sony purchased Valkyrie in 2021, and the studio subsequently contributed to Concord. It’s unknown if Valkyrie is currently working on another game.
Haven Studios
Haven Studios is so new that it hasn’t released a game yet. The studio was founded in 2021 and purchased by Sony the next year. Its current title is the live-service game Fairgrounds. That game was announced by Sony in 2023 and has subsequently been sidelined by delays.
Bungie
Bungie has been around in some form since 1991, but the studio hit its peak starting with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001. The studio’s success with that franchise was so immense that Bungie earned its independence from Microsoft.
Although Bungie has had some success with the live-service shooters Destiny and Destiny 2, recapturing the highs of Halo has been elusive. The stakes are high for Bungie’s new live-service title, Marathon, which will debut on March 5.
Neon Koi
Neon Koi was founded in 2020 and purchased by Sony in 2022. The studio had been working on a live-service mobile title before the game was canceled. Sony shut down the studio in 2024.
Firewalk Studios
Firewalk Studios’ only game was Concord, which began development in 2018. Sony purchased Firewalk in 2023 with an eye towards making Concord its next big live-service title.
However, players’ dismal response to the game led Sony to pull Concord from storefronts just two weeks after its release. Sony subsequently shut down Firewalk and laid off its employees.
