Sony Creates PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, Acquires Savage Game Studios

Sony has acquired Savage Game Studios, which will join the company’s newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division. 

This new division will operate independently from PlayStation’s console development and instead focus on creating “innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP,” according to a PlayStation Blog post. Savage Game Studios is one of the first studios to join this new division, and PlayStation says the Savage team is working on a “new unannounced AAA mobile live service action game.” 

“Today, we announced that we have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Game Studios, a hugely talented team of creatives with many years of experience making some of the most popular mobile games enjoyed by players around the world,” head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst writes in the blog post. “They were founded a few years ago with the goal of fearlessly exploring bold new ideas. We share their timeless ambition to innovate, along with a continued drive to expand our audience and bring PlayStation to more people than ever before, making them a perfect fit to join PlayStation Studios.” 

Hulst writes that players shouldn’t be worried that this new acquisition and mobile division will take away from the company’s efforts to bring games to the PlayStation console community. According to Hulst, just as the expansion of the company’s PC business has contributed to the PlayStation Community overall, so will its mobile gaming output. 

“Our mobile gaming efforts will be similarly additive, providing more ways for more people to engage with our content,” Hulst writes.

Here’s what Savage Game Studios CEO and co-founder Michail Katkoff has to say about the acquisition: 

Savage Game Studios, founded in 2020 by me and my co-founders Nadjim and Michael McManus. It was the result of many years of experience with mobile games development that spans a variety of highly successful international IP. Our guiding vision was a creative space where experimentation and taking risks weren’t warily avoided, but rather eagerly embraced. We’ve all worked at big studios and while we respect the advantages of ample resources, we wanted to stay small and nimble so we could call our own shots.

“So why then,” you may be thinking to yourself, “would you join PlayStation Studios?” We made this deal because we believe that PlayStation Studios’ leadership respects our vision for how we can best operate and succeed, and because they too are not afraid to take chances. All of that, plus the ability to potentially tap into PlayStation’s amazing catalog of IP and the fact that we will benefit from the kind of support that only they can provide… The harder question to answer would be “why not?”

Savage Game Studios thanks you all for your time. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!”

PlayStation’s acquisition of Savage Game Studios is the latest in a line of multiple that have happened across the industry in 2022. Take-Two Interactive was the parent company for Grand Theft Auto and announced that in January, it would be buying mobile firm Zynga. Microsoft then announced that it had purchased Activision Blizzard, which is the company behind Overwatch or Call of Duty for an incredible $68.7billion a week later. Sony then announced it would be buying Bungie at $3.6 billion two weeks later. Following that, Sony acquired Jade Raymond’s new studio, Haven Studios. 

Do you feel excited, anxious, or just plain indifferent about the announcement that Sony has established a PlayStation Studios Mobile Division. Comment below to let us know your thoughts!