Dimapur, Feb. 1 (EMN): Just weeks after Microsoft strengthened its position in the gaming space with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Sony has followed suit by acquiring Destiny series developer Bungie in a deal worth $3.6 billion.
Founded in 1991, Bungie had worked on the first "Halo" video game when owned by Microsoft in the early 2000's. It separated from Microsoft in 2007 and has since worked on the multiplayer first-person shooter franchise Destiny.
Bungie has limitless potential to unite friends around the world.
— Bungie (@Bungie) January 31, 2022
We have found a partner in PlayStation that shares our dream and is committed to accelerating our creative vision of building generation-spanning entertainment.
Our journey begins today.https://t.co/PLuVn48zdy pic.twitter.com/kAhRbAg3vD
This is the third major gaming acquisition this year, following Take-Two Interactive’s $12.7 billion purchase of Zynga and Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
In a separate blog post, the game studio confirmed that it will remain as an independent unit of Sony Interactive Entertainment and Destiny 2 will remain playable on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
"Our commitment to Destiny 2 as a multi-platform game with full Cross Play remains unchanged. We want you to play The Witch Queen on February 22, 2022, on the platform of YOUR choice," wrote Bungie. "Bungie’s commitment to cross-platform play and social features remains unchanged. We believe games are best shared with friends, wherever they choose to play, and will continue to invest in new features and platforms."
On the official PlayStation blog, Jim Ryan President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment wrote, "Bungie’s world-class expertise in multi-platform development and live game services will help us deliver on our vision of expanding PlayStation to hundreds of millions of gamers. Bungie is a great innovator and has developed incredible proprietary tools that will help PlayStation Studios achieve new heights under Hermen Hulst’s leadership."
"In Sony, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungie’s heart," said Pete Parsons, CEO of Bungie. "Like us, Sony believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums."