Home » News » PlayStation acquires Housemarque, developer of Returnal
returnal
News

PlayStation acquires Housemarque, developer of Returnal

Sony's taking the fight to Microsoft.

Sony has today acquired Returnal developer Housemarque as a first-part entity of PlayStation Studios.

“Today is a big day for Housemarque and it has been over 26 years in the making,” said Housemarque Co-founder and Managing Director Ilari Kuittinen.

“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,” he continued.

“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.”

It’s possible PlayStation’s acquisition of Housemarque was in reply to an aggressive first-party stategy of late by PlayStation competitor Microsoft, which acquired has acquired the likes of Bethesda and more in the last few years.

Not to be outdone, PlayStation has recently acquired Insomniac Games, formerly of Xbox-exclusive title Sunset Overdrive and Sony’s recent Spider-Man franchise.

“Housemarque’s recent release of Returnal proves the studio is one with incredible vision, capable of creating memorable new games that resonate with our community,” PlayStation’s Herman Hulst added.

“This addition enhances the creative force of PlayStation Studios, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Housemarque,” Hulst continued.

Returnal is available now as a PS5 exclusive.


This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Stevivor.com, the country’s leading independent video games outlet. Steve arrived in Australia back in 2001 on what was meant to be a three-month working holiday before deciding to emigrate and, eventually, becoming a citizen.

Stevivor is a combination of ‘Steve’ and ‘Survivor’, which made more sense back in 2001 when Jeff Probst was up in Queensland. The site started as Steve’s travel blog before transitioning over into video games.

Aside from video games, Steve has interests in hockey and Star Trek, playing the former and helping to cover video games about the latter on TrekMovie.com. By day, Steve works as the communications manager of the peak body representing Victorians as they age.