Sony Will Acquire Video Game Maker Bungie in $3.6B Deal

Wall Street learned this week that Sony Interactive Entertainment will be buying privately held video game maker Bungie for $3.6 billion.

The move follows Take-Two’s $12.7 billion agreement to buy Zynga and Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. All three deals were announced last month.

Bungie is behind the multiplayer shooter games Destiny and Halo. Its latest game, Halo Infinite, launched on Xbox and Windows in 2021.

The company was acquired by Microsoft in 2000 and split from that company in 2007.

Based in Bellevue, WA and with more than 900 employees, Bungie is renowned for creating unforgettable, evolving worlds centered around high-quality gameplay experiences that foster meaningful player connections.

Currently, the team is focused on the long-term development of the hugely successful Destiny 2, expanding the Destiny universe, and creating entirely new worlds in future IP.

Bungie will continue to operate independently within Sony, according to a statement.

“Bungie has created and continues to evolve some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises and, by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gameplay experiences, they bring together millions of people around the world,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony Group Corp.’s chairman, president and CEO, in a statement.

“We’ve had a strong partnership with Bungie since the inception of the Destiny franchise, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome the studio to the PlayStation family,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO, SIE.

“This is an important step in our strategy to expand the reach of PlayStation to a much wider audience. We understand how vital Bungie’s community is to the studio and look forward to supporting them as they remain independent and continue to grow. Like Bungie, our community is core to PlayStation’s DNA, and our shared passion for the gamer and building the best place to play will now evolve even further.”

“In SIE, we have found a partner that fully supports us and wants to accelerate our vision of creating meaningful entertainment experiences that span generations, all while valuing the creative independence that is the heartbeat of Bungie,” said Pete Parsons, CEO and Chairman, Bungie.

“We will continue pursuing our vision of one, unified Bungie community, building games that value our community and meet them wherever and however they choose to play. Both Bungie and SIE believe that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IP will become. Our original universes have immense potential and, with SIE’s support, we will propel Bungie into becoming a global multi-media entertainment company dedicated to delivering on our creative vision.”

The total consideration of this transaction is 3.6 billion U.S. dollars, inclusive of purchase price and committed employee incentives, and is subject to customary working capital and other adjustments.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.