Sony Interactive Entertainment to Acquire Firesprite
8.9.2021 17:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”) announced today that SIE has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Firesprite Limited, the UK-based videogame studio with a history of developing highly-polished showpieces for cutting-edge hardware. With a partnership spanning more than 8 years and a games portfolio highlighting PlayStation’s technological innovations, Firesprite will play a critical role in strengthening SIE’s exclusive games catalog in genres outside of PlayStation Studios’ core offerings.
Founded by industry veterans from SIE’s Studio Liverpool, Firesprite has a strong record of developing showcase games for PlayStation console and peripheral launches. Over the past few years, Firesprite has partnered with SIE to develop games for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®VR launch including The Playroom (PS4) and The Playroom VR (PS VR), both of which showcased unique hardware capabilities with highly-quality gameplay.
Originally a PS VR exclusive, with its most recent release, The Persistence, Firesprite pushed the boundaries of how users interact with the PS VR headset by introducing a groundbreaking virtual reality social element that further demonstrated the studio’s technical and creative capabilities. Later adapted for flat screens in 2018, Firesprite recently released The Persistence Enhanced in June 2021 which optimized the game for PlayStation®5 to include DualSense™ wireless controller haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and raytraced rendering.
“We are delighted to welcome Firesprite into the PlayStation family,” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “We have a rich history of working with the founders of Firesprite and are excited to grow the PlayStation presence in Liverpool. The portfolio of titles Firesprite has developed has continually demonstrated the team’s ability to transcend traditional gameplay experiences and brilliantly showcase the potential of our hardware.”
“Creating quality, state-of-the-art games has always been at the forefront of Firesprite’s work and I’m confident they will push the bar even further as part of PlayStation Studios,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Firesprite’s ability to weave best-in-class gameplay with new technology is exceptional and I think fans will be excited about their creative vision for the future.”
“At Firesprite, we’re always striving to bring something new to a game or genre and developing for new technologies is a driving force of our passion,” said Graeme Ankers, Managing Director, Firesprite. “Joining PlayStation Studios will allow us to amplify this passion, working more closely on cutting-edge hardware without any limitations and furthering our studio’s heritage of creativity and technical innovation to offer some truly unique experiences for PlayStation fans.”
Based in Liverpool, UK Firesprite will join the global development operation of PlayStation Studios and will be the 14th studio to join the PlayStation Studios family. The day-to-day operations post-acquisition will continue to be run by Firesprite’s current management team. Terms of this transaction including the acquisition cost are not disclosed due to contractual commitments.
About Sony Interactive Entertainment
Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation™Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Now, and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and has global functions in California, London and Tokyo.
About Firesprite
Founded in 2012 by a group of creative and management veterans with years of industry experience, Firesprite is a visionary game development studio based in the heart of Liverpool’s vibrant game development hub with over 200 team members. Creating a number of showcase games for PlayStation console and peripheral launches over the years, Firesprite’s core focus is developing innovative and memorable experiences for players on cutting edge gaming hardware. At Firesprite, the end player experience always comes first and the team is passionate about how to best combine the disciplines of design, art and code to deliver experiences that surprise and delight.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210908005275/en/
Contact information
Brian Keltner
brian.keltner@sony.com
Joelle Messianu
joelle.messianu@sony.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Incyte Data to Be Highlighted in Four Rapid Oral Presentations at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 Support Efforts to Improve Outcomes in Difficult-to-Treat Cancers17.7.2026 20:10:00 EEST | Press release
Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) today announced that it will highlight data from several programs in its oncology portfolio in six presentations at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026, being held October 23 - 27, 2026, in Madrid. “The data at ESMO will further illustrate Incyte’s commitment to advancing innovation for patients with cancer,” said Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., President, Incyte and Global Head of Research and Development. "Among the presentations are important updates from our KRAS G12D inhibitor in advanced pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer, our TGFβR2×PD-1 bispecific antibody in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer and our CDK2 inhibitor in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer – investigational approaches that reflect our focus on areas where there is significant need for novel therapies." Details on key data presentations at ESMO include: Rapid Oral Presentations INCB161734 (KRAS G12D) Safety and Efficacy of Oral KRAS G12D Inhibitor INCB161734 as Mono
STL Expands Its Optical Connectivity Portfolio in the US with the CONCAT Solution17.7.2026 15:24:00 EEST | Press release
STL Optical Connectivity NA, LLC, (STLOC), a U.S. subsidiary of STL (Sterlite Technologies Ltd.) [NSE: STLTECH], a leading connectivity solutions provider for AI-ready digital infrastructure, today announced that it launched its new advanced FTTH solution, CONCAT, after successfully completing field trials on the networks of one of the largest telecom service providers in the United States. Following successful field validation, CONCAT is now available to digital infrastructure providers seeking faster fiber rollouts with reduced deployment complexity and labor. It enables up to 71% in labor cost savings by eliminating most field splicing through factory-assembled, pre-connectorized fiber segments that deliver plug-and-play installation. CONCAT simplifies fiber deployment by shifting critical fiber preparation and termination into a controlled manufacturing environment ensuring consistent quality, faster installation, and lower operational risk in the field. CONCAT solution is ideal fo
China's ~$900B Live-Commerce Market Now Approaches US E-Commerce Scale17.7.2026 13:30:00 EEST | Press release
The center of gravity in global retail has shifted East. The formats now driving the fastest growth in global retail (live shopping, social commerce, and delivery in minutes) were pioneered and scaled in Asia, and most Western consumers have yet to adopt them. According to NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, in its global report The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, the gap between East and West is still vast. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260717253489/en/ China´s USD 900bn live shopping boom now approaches the scale of the US E-commerce The scale is already substantial. China's live-commerce market alone was worth roughly $900 billion in 2025, approaching the size of the entire US e-commerce market, according to market data cited in the report. Yet 68% of consumers in North America and 67% in Europe have never once bought a product through social media, and roughly two-thirds
Aqemia and Sanofi Expand Their Research Collaboration17.7.2026 13:30:00 EEST | Press release
Aqemia, the drug invention company combining generative AI and quantum-inspired physics to invent small molecule drugs, today announced the expansion of its multi-year research collaboration with the global pharmaceutical company, Sanofi. The expansion is marked by the nomination of a new therapeutic target and an additional payment. The collaboration, first announced in December 2023, makes Aqemia eligible to receive up to a total of $140 million in upfront and milestone payments across programs. It spans the drug discovery journey from the identification of the very first hits to the selection of a development candidate. Aqemia leverages Qemi, its proprietary physics-based generative AI platform, to design novel molecules addressing Sanofi’s targets of choice, working in close collaboration with Sanofi scientific teams. Sanofi leads wet lab research, development and commercialization. The collaboration now runs across continents, between Aqemia researchers in Paris and London and San
Ant International’s Alipay+ Connects Argentina's National QR Payment Scheme via PVS, Enabling for Cross-Border Digital Payment Nationwide at Millions of Merchants17.7.2026 13:17:00 EEST | Press release
Alipay+, a global digital payment gateway under Ant International, today announced that it will enable global travellers to make QR code payments at millions of merchants across Argentina through integration with the country's national QR payment scheme Transferencias 3.0, in partnership with PVS, a fintech company specialized in developing customized payment solutions in Latin America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260717276406/en/ By connecting to Argentina's national QR payment scheme, Alipay+ now enables global travellers in the country to make convenient QR code payments at merchants nationwide. This service helps to enhance global travellers' travel experiences in Argentina, allowing them to pay seamlessly at restaurants, malls and tourist attractions. Using an Alipay+ partner payment app, they can now scan the national QR code displayed at all merchants to make cross-border payments across Argentina,
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom