Sony has acquired Bungie, makers of Destiny, for $3.6B

Sony Interactive Entertainment today announced it will acquired Bungie, the creators of Destiny and the original studio behind Microsoft exclusive Halo. It reportedly shelled out $3.6 billion in the deal.

According to Bungie, the studio will continue to operate independently. In a blog post, CEO Pete Parsons said, “With SIE’s support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision.”

The studio also appears to be considering a multimedia future, expanding both its library of video game IP and non-gaming projects. Parsons called the acquisition the beginning of Bungie’s journey to become “a global multi-media entertainment company.”

Jim Ryan, SIE CEO, said in a statement, “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.”

Bungie published an FAQ on the acquisition. It repeatedly stated that both Destiny’s upcoming expansions and the studio’s future projects will be multi-platform. It also said it maintained creative independence on all of its projects.

This is the latest in a series of mergers and acquisitions within the games industry. Though the deal must have been in the works for some time, it’s difficult not to see it in the context of Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Sony’s stock went down by $20 billion following that news.