PlayStation Has Acquired Firewalk Studios

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Unchained

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SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”) announced today it has entered into an agreement with ProbablyMonsters Inc. to acquire Firewalk Studios™, a studio of industry-leading creatives developing an original AAA multiplayer game for PlayStation®5 (PS5™) and PC. Firewalk will collaborate alongside world-class development teams, including Bungie and Haven Interactive Studios, to define a new generation of live service experiences for PlayStation gamers.
Based in Bellevue, WA, Firewalk was formed in 2018 as part of ProbablyMonsters, an independent AAA game company founded by CEO Harold Ryan (former CEO, President and Chairman at Bungie) that builds sustainable game teams focusing on original AAA games. Firewalk’s team of best-in-class developers, led by industry veterans Tony Hsu (Studio Head, previously GM and SVP of Destiny at Activision) and Ryan Ellis (Game Director, previously Creative Director at Bungie), have years of collective expertise on some of gaming’s most successful and impactful multiplayer titles. ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk announced an exclusive publishing partnership with SIE in April 2021 and now Firewalk will be the 20th studio to join PlayStation Studios.
 
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Zzero

Zzero

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Tweet deleted, someone jumped the gun.

edit: Nope, its out in the wild, there we go.

Also of note, though I suspect not many will care, is that Probablymonsters now have a trademarked name for their third (now second) team, Battle Barge. Of the three teams, Sony picked up the least exciting one (gas all GaaS) but its still a good get, its one they were already working with, fitting their M.O. and at least it means that one more of their current teams won't be wasted on designing skinner boxes. Watch these guys, they'll either be a big name in ten years or a hilarious flameout.
 
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Firefly

Firefly

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Jim Ryan buying every live service studio on the planet
Infinity Gauntlet GIFs | Tenor
 
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Loy310

Loy310

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Sony is setting up for fps library, they have a strategy it seems. Flood their brand with fps from industry vets and it should help lock in fps gamers, even if the games are not hits.
 
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Eternal_Wings

Eternal_Wings

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So this means it’s pretty clear that ABK will go though and Sony finally has settled with it huh?
So now Sony can finally continue the M&A and maybe announce their bigger deals when ABK is officially finalised.
 
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Dabaus

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When i first saw it, i thought it was deviation games. Then i saw probablymonsters and realized it was a different studio. I assume deviation is next though. Hopefully followed by some japanese stuff. I think this also signals sony knows which way the wind is blowing in regards to the CMA. I wonder if we see sony start to fire off all the acquisitions theyve (i assume) made in the meantime here soon?
 
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Dabaus

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"Based in Bellevue, WA, Firewalk was formed in 2018 as part of ProbablyMonsters, an independent AAA game company founded by CEO Harold Ryan (former CEO, President and Chairman at Bungie) that builds sustainable game teams focusing on original AAA games. Firewalk's team of best-in-class developers, led by industry veterans Tony Hsu (Studio Head, previously GM and SVP of Destiny at Activision) and Ryan Ellis (Game Director, previously Creative Director at Bungie), have years of collective expertise on some of gaming's most successful and impactful multiplayer titles. ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk announced an exclusive publishing partnership with SIE in April 2021 and now Firewalk will be the 20th studio to join PlayStation Studios."

Firewalk is basically bungie 2.0
 
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Zzero

Zzero

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Dabaus said:
When i first saw it, i thought it was deviation games. Then i saw probablymonsters and realized it was a different studio. I assume deviation is next though. Hopefully followed by some japanese stuff. I think this also signals sony knows which way the wind is blowing in regards to the CMA. I wonder if we see sony start to fire off all the acquisitions theyve (i assume) made in the meantime here soon?
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They've been talking about building their GaaS portfolio for a few years now and had already set themselves up as Firewalk's exclusive publisher. Its more like they were waiting to see if they did good work and had a normal human as team leader.
 
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peter42O

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Is Firewalk the studio that's rumored to be working on a Horizon live service game that looks like Immortals Fenyx Rising? Or is that a different studio.
 
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