Sony is buying Destiny maker Bungie

The $3.6 billion deal will still have Destiny on multiple platforms

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced today that it is acquiring Bungie, the studio behind popular shooter Destiny. The deal comes in at $3.6 billion, but Destiny will still be published on multiple platforms.

Once the deal closes, Bungie will be an independent subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan said this is part of Sony’s 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,” Ryan told GI Biz. “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.”

Bungie confirms in a blog that Destiny 2 will stay on all current platforms and expand to new platforms. The studio also says it will maintain “full creative independence” for its games and the community. There won’t be any platform exclusives for upcoming expansion The Witch Queen, either.

There may be more on the way for PlayStation as well. GI Biz’s Christopher Dring says Ryan told them to “expect more” when it comes to further PlayStation acquisitions.

This caps off a massive month in acquisition news. Earlier in January, Take-Two announced it would acquire Zynga in a $12.7 billion deal. And just a few weeks ago, Microsoft announced its own acquisition of Activision Blizzard, for a whopping $68.7 billion.

With Sony’s news, the once-Microsoft studio is now at PlayStation. Bungie says the “most immediate change” seen will be an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio. It will also retain the option to independently publish and develop games. With both Destiny 2 and any potential new IP in the future, this is a big move to cap off a month of massive acquisitions in the gaming world.