Sony has just officially confirmed that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire Bungie. Video game fans know Bungie as the revolutionary studio behind the legendary Halo first-person shooter franchise.
Bungie has been working on the Destiny franchise lately, which has spawned two hugely successful live-service games, and the sequel continues to gain popularity with each new season. Sony also confirmed that Bungie will continue to operate independently, while retaining the ability to self-publish and, most curiously, reach players “wherever they choose to play,”according to a press release.
Sony will acquire Bungie, Inc for a whopping $3.6 billion. This is just a few weeks before the big announcement of the Xbox/Microsoft Activision Blizzard acquisition. While it seems to be Sony’s answer to Microsoft because of the fact that this is happening, planning for deals of this magnitude requires months or even years of planning.
Sony to buy Revolutionary Studio Bungie
“Bungie has created and continues to develop some of the world’s most popular video game franchises, and by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gaming experiences, they connect millions of people around the world,”said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO., Sony Group Corporation.
Destiny 2 has been a uniquely successful game for Bungie as the game continues to evolve further than even the most optimistic fans imagined at launch. True to its promise, Bungie was able to build a solid foundation at launch with regular updates and expansions that helped the game become the juggernaut it is today.
This is one of Sony’s biggest acquisitions in the gaming industry and a clear sign that great things are in store for us in the future. From the wording of some of the statements in the press release, it would appear that perhaps Bungie games will not be limited to the PlayStation, but this is entirely speculation.