Sony is buying Bungie, the developer of Destiny and original creator of Halo
Sony is buying Bungie, the developer of Destiny and the original creator of Halo, for $3.6 billion. The acquisition arrives shortly after Microsoft’s announcement that it intends to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $68.7 billion. Bungie will “continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games,” Bungie CEO Pete Parsons writes in a blog post.
“In SIE, 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,” Parsons writes. “Like us, SIE 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.
Bungie has limitless potential to unite friends around the world.
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
— Bungie (@Bungie) January 31, 2022
Bungie will continue to be be a multiplatform studio, according to GamesIndustry.biz, and is telling the audience flatly that its future games will not become PlayStation exclusives. “No. We want the worlds we are creating to extend to anywhere people play games. We will continue to be self-published, creatively independent, and we will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community,” writes Bungie, in an FAQ about the deal. In that FAQ, Bungie also discussed how the acquisition will affect the long-running hit Destiny 2:
Q. As a Destiny 2 player, does Bungie becoming part of PlayStation have any immediate impact on how I play and experience Destiny 2?
No. 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.
Q. Will the Destiny 2 experience on non-PlayStation platforms be impacted by Bungie becoming part of PlayStation?
No. We want to maintain the same great experience you already have on your platform of choice.
Q. Will any announced seasons, events, packs, or expansions be changed or impacted by Bungie becoming part of PlayStation?
No. Bungie retains full creative independence for our games and our community. Our plans for the Light and Dark Saga are unchanged, all the way through The Final Shape in 2024.
Q. Will Destiny 2: The Witch Queen include any platform exclusives?
No. The Witch Queen will not contain any platform exclusives. Every player should have an amazing Destiny experience, no matter where you choose to play
Q. Will cross platform features, like Cross Save, Cross Play, the Destiny 2 Companion App, or third-party apps like Destiny Item Manager (DIM) be changed or removed?
No. 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.
Q. Bungie has future games in development, will they now become PlayStation exclusives?
No. We want the worlds we are creating to extend to anywhere people play games. We will continue to be self-published, creatively independent, and we will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community.
Q. I play Destiny on Steam, Xbox, or Stadia – will my platform still be supported?
Yes.
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Sony is buying Bungie, the developer of Destiny and the original creator of Halo, for $3.6 billion. The acquisition arrives shortly after Microsoft’s announcement that it intends to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $68.7 billion. Bungie will “continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games,” Bungie CEO…
