Sony officially closes the $3.6 billion deal to purchase Bungie, the studio behind Halo and Destiny. Bungie is now joining the PlayStation family but remains an independent subsidiary that won’t be required to develop games exclusively on PlayStation.
Sony announced its desire to purchase Bungie back on January 31. The deal is now complete, bringing Destiny 2 to the Sony universe.
“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,” declares the developer of Destiny 2. “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.”
Even if Bungie is now part of the PlayStation family, the studio keeps its independence to develop and publish games. There is no plan to remove Bungie’s games from Microsoft consoles. Destiny 2 will remain available on all platforms and the studio doesn’t intend on developing PlayStation exclusives right now.
Sony’s goal with the acquisition of Bungie is to help the studio bring its IPs to different mediums than just video games. Bungie can now take advantage of Sony Pictures and Sony Music to port Destiny 2 as a movie or create a new TV series like Halo. This deal also serves PlayStation, as it expands the console’s live service game offerings.
According to Bungie, the most immediate change coming with the merger with Sony “is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision.” The company hires across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and unannounced upcoming games.