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Sony buys Returnal developer Housemarque

Super! Stardust!

Sony has bought Returnal developer Housemarque.

The Helsinki, Finland-based studio becomes the latest developer within the PlayStation Studios first-party operation. Terms were not disclosed.

Cover image for YouTube videoLet's Play Returnal - Returnal First Hour Gameplay PS5
Aoife's let's play of Returnal's brilliant first hour.

The addition of Housemarque, which has created a string of PlayStation exclusives including Super Stardust HD, Resogun and, most recently, PlayStation 5-exclusive Returnal, "enhances the creative force of PlayStation Studios", Hermen Hulst, head of Worldwide Studios at Sony Interactive Entertainment, said in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

The acquisition "gives our studio a clear future and a stable opportunity to continue delivering on gameplay centric approaches, while still experimenting with new methods of narrative delivery and pushing the boundaries of this modern artform", Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder and managing director of Housemarque, added.

"Locally here in Helsinki, this also means that we will officially expand the PlayStation family to a growing industry hub and secure the legacy of the oldest game studio in Finland."

Housemarque's arrival bolsters Sony's already significant first-party studio network, which includes Uncharted and The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog, Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac, and Horizon developer Guerrilla Games.