Sony has announced a partnership with Firewalk Studios. The prominence from Destiny and the former head of Bungie are also involved.
It was announced: Sony has announced that they have a new ally on board: Firewalk Studios. They are working on an unannounced online multiplayer game for the PlayStation 5 – it is supposed to be a completely new IP.
Never heard of Firewalk Studios? Not a problem. But if we tell you that the former head of Bungie, a lot of Destiny developers, and other shooter elites want to save AAA gaming, you should pay attention.
The new multiplayer IP is being led by:
- Tony Hsu is the head of Firewalk Studios and also the former General Manager and Senior Vice President of Destiny
- Ryan Ellis is the Game Director and was Creative Director at Destiny
- Elena Siegman is the Executive Producer and was a producer at Bioshock Infinite, the Destiny titles, and Guitar Hero II
- Firewalk Studios is also part of ProbablyMONSTERS, a company that refers to itself as “A Family of Gaming Studios”. Here, developers from Apex, Halo, God of War, F.E.A.R., and the former head of Bungie also reside.
Nothing is actually known about the announced AAA game. The multiplayer title with a big budget, because that’s what AAA stands for, will even be the studio’s debut work, which was founded only in 2018. We know neither the name of the project nor the setting. A screenshot or a targeted release are also unknown variables.
Will the PlayStation 5 finally get strong exclusives for multiplayer?
What is Sony planning? With Sony, Firewalk Studios has chosen a strong partner with deep pockets, who is making waves with its exclusive titles. God of War, The Last of Us, the Uncharted series, Spider-Man, and Ghost of Tsushima are the most well-known among them.
However, what Sony lacks are prestigious multiplayer titles in its exclusive portfolio. With Godfall, they had an interesting candidate in the running, but it quickly ran out of steam. It seems that this gap is now to be closed by Firewalk Studios in the future.
Sony and Firewalk Studios have been in contact since 2018 and entered into a partnership early after the studio was founded. As indicated in an interview with IGN (via IGN.com), it is mentioned that the new IP will also have a strong focus on story.
This is what the studio head has to say about it:
Today, we are excited to announce a partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment for our new multiplayer game. For our team, the opportunity to create new worlds and enable even more fantastic moments for players around the globe is the fire and motivation that drives us.
Tiny Hsu via PlayStation.com
Former Bungie head wants to save AAA gaming
Firewalk Studios is part of the “family” of ProbablyMONSTERS. This is the company of Harold Ryan. Ryan was the head at Bungie until 2016. Why he left Bungie and started over is not entirely clear. However, it is rumored to be due to too much influence from Activision-Blizzard.
This is the new concept: ProbablyMONSTERS is not a traditional game developer but more of a kind of umbrella for AAA indie games. Ryan has continuously expanded his roster with experienced developers. Many former and well-known Bungie collaborators have now found a new home at ProbablyMONSTERS.
Here, different smaller studios work on individual projects. They have a lot of freedom but still have as much money as only the biggest players. The focus is on artistic aspects, realizing visions, and a collegial atmosphere with a “people come first” philosophy.
- More about ProbablyMONSTERS and why the former elite of Blizzard is taking a similar path can be found here on MeinMMO: This is how the ex-heads of Blizzard and Bungie want to save AAA gaming
And what are Bungie and Destiny 2 up to?
Destiny 2 is currently struggling with PvP and is receiving criticism for the new transmog feature. However, the feeling of gunplay, the mix of individual weapons, recoil, the flow of combat, and abilities make Destiny 2 nearly unique for years, which is why the game continues to have many fans.
- Bungie is also expanding and wants to develop the Destiny franchise further and bring a new IP: Destiny 2 is getting a new boss, a huge new headquarters, and is coming to Europe.
- Destiny 2 will remain a major focus for Bungie for years to come. Recently, the plans for Destiny 2 for 2021 were presented.
When there are news about the AAA game from Firewalk Studios, you will of course find them on MeinMMO. Are you excited about the new IP being developed in collaboration with Sony? Or do the big names and talented developers leave you indifferent because it is too early for a judgment?
