Sony is buying Bungie for $3.6 billion

Sony has purchased Bungie, the Halo creator and Destiny 2 developer, for $3.6 billion.

A joint press release confirmed that Sony has entered into definitive discussions with Bungie. This means that this deal is only a matter-of-time at this stage.

Bungie will keep its independence and ability to self-publish even after the deal is closed. Sony will operate the studio as a subsidiary, but it will still be managed by its board of directors and current management.

Kenichiro Yoshida is the president and CEO at Sony Group Corporation. He stated that Sony will support Bungie’s continued evolution and its ability “to create iconic worlds across multiple media platforms and media platforms.”

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons also stated that “game worlds” are just the beginning of the future IP. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons reiterated that they are interested in TV, films, books and comics, as well as other media besides games. The studio had previously announced plans to expand into “additional medium,” which could result in a Destiny TV series.

Parsons described the deal in a post (opens in new window) to Bungie’s website as the beginning of the studio’s journey to “become a global multi-media entertainment corporation.”

Bungie stated that this deal will not affect Destiny 2’s content or availability. The studio addressed the issue in FAQ. It stated that it will continue to plan for Destiny 2’s three next expansions, including The Witch Queen, which is due February 22.

Bungie also claims that The Witch Queen will not include any platform exclusives. Bungie claims that seasonal content, cosmetics and cross-platform support for the Witch Queen will be available. The companion app support will remain equal across all platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, Xbox and Stadia.

Interview with GamesIndustry Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, confirmed that future Bungie games, just like Destiny 2, will continue to be available on other platforms and consoles. Bungie already has at most one additional game in the oven parallel to Destiny 2. It seems this deal will not affect their target platforms.