Sony Just Got Its 14th Studio, UK-Based Devs Firesprite
PlayStation has just made its third studio acquisition of the summer by purchasing Liverpool-based game developer Firesprite. They are now the 14th member to join the PlayStation Studios group, the third that PlayStation has made this year, following the buyouts of PC port specialist Nixxes Software and Returnal devs Housemarque.
It is no secret that Firesprite and Sony have closely worked with one another, creating quite a number of gaming titles together. The two companies also worked hand-in-hand to create The Playroom VR and The Playroom.
“I could not be more delighted to welcome Firesprite to the PlayStation Studios family as our 14th studio,” wrote PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst. “The team’s technical and creative capabilities will be paramount to growing our stellar catalogue of exclusive games.”
Hulst also added that Firesprite is “creative and ambitious” and possesses the skills necessary for creating gaming experiences that truly showcase the potential of the PlayStation hardware. “I think you will be excited for what is to come,” Hulst added.
Although Firesprite is not a household name in the gaming industry, they are best known for working with PSVR, specifically for the horror shooter title, The Persistence. They have over 250 employees—which makes them relatively larger than the other two major UK PlayStation teams, Media Molecule and London Studio, combined. With that said, the studio brings a considerable workforce to Sony.
Firesprite Managing Director Graeme Ankers announced that they are “very much looking forward” to this next part of their journey. “Now, as a first party studio, we know we have the full support of PlayStation in furthering our heritage of combining creativity and technical innovation to offer some truly unique experiences for PlayStation fans,” Ankers said. “We cannot wait to show you what we have been working on. We are just getting started!”
Before Sony’s acquisition of Firesprite, the latter was actively recruiting for two upcoming titles: a “game-changing huge multiplayer shooter and an ambitious dark narrative blockbuster adventure.” Sadly, Hulst and Ankers would not divulge any information regarding these upcoming projects, except for the fact that they will be in genres outside of PlayStation Studios’ core offerings.