Firewalk Studios is an American game development studio based in Bellevue, Washington. Founded in 2018, it is a subsidiary of PlayStation Studios, and is owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment since 2023.
Firewalk was established in 2018 as a subsidiary of ProbablyMonsters, by veterans of game companies such as Bungie and Activision including former Activision executive Tony Hsu and former Bungie creative director Ryan Ellis, who worked on the Destiny franchise together. ProbablyMonsters collaborated with PlayStation maker Sony in the establishment and growth of the studio, and the three companies announced their partnership in April 2021.
In April 2023, Sony announced its acquisition of Firewalk Studios from ProbablyMonsters. The studio's first game was Concord, a multiplayer first-person shooter for the PlayStation 5 and PC; releasing in August 2024, the game was a critical and commercial disappointment.
History[]
2018-2023: Establishment, ProbablyMonsters subsidiary[]
Firewalk Studios was established in 2018 as part of video game incubation company ProbablyMonsters. Among its founders are Ryan Ellis, Tony Hsu and Elena Siegman; all three were veterans who worked on Bungie's Activision-published Destiny franchise, with Ellis and Siegman being former Bungie employees as creative director and producer respectively, whereas Hsu worked at Activision as general manager and senior vice president of the Destiny IP.[1] Firewalk's first studio was located within the garage of ProbablyMonsters' founder and chief executive officer, Harold Ryan, who previously served the same role within Bungie.[2]
According to Hsu and Ellis, Sony Interactive Entertainment showed interest in the studio's work and supported them "from the beginning".[3] As part of the partnership, Sony wanted for Firewalk to operate separately from ProbablyMonsters' other studios, so Ryan obliged by setting "a 1,500 square-foot building", to create a "secure space".[4]
On April 22, 2021, it was formally announced that Sony and ProbablyMonsters signed a deal for the former to publish Firewalk's first project as an AAA multiplayer title for the PlayStation 5. At the time of the partnership's announcement, Firewalk Studios' manpower was in the "upper double digits".[5] Siegman left Firewalk in August 2022.[6]
2023-current: PlayStation acquisition, Concord[]
On April 20, 2023, Sony announced its intentions to acquire Firewalk from ProbablyMonsters for an undisclosed sum.[7] As part of the press release, Sony announced that Firewalk's upcoming title will be in collaboration of fellow PlayStation subsidiaries Bungie and Haven Studios, and confirmed a PC version alongside its PlayStation 5 release.[8] At the time of the acquisition, Firewalk Studios employed roughly 150 people.
In May 2023, Firewalk formally announced its game as Concord, with release window in 2024. A formal showing of the game was shown in May 2024, followed by a release in August 2024. Concord was a critical disappointment[9] and commercial failure, leading Sony and Firewalk to cease sales of the game. In a statement, Concord director Ryan Ellis said that Firewalk would "explore options, including those that will better reach our players."[10]
Relationships with other studios[]
Bungie[]
Firewalk is comprised of several former Bungie and Activision alumni who worked on Bungie's Destiny series; Hsu described Firewalk's connection to Bungie as "close personal and professional relationships".[11] Following Firewalk's acquisition by Sony in April 2023, it was confirmed that Bungie will be collaborating with Firewalk on their multiplayer title.
Haven Studios[]
Following Firewalk's acquisition by Sony in April 2023, it was confirmed that Haven will be collaborating with Firewalk on their multiplayer title.
Games developed[]
| Game title | Release | Platform | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | August 23, 2024 | PlayStation 5, PC | Discontinued as of September 6, 2024 |
References[]
- ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-signs-aaa-multiplayer-game-from-former-destiny-veterans
- ↑ https://venturebeat.com/games/probably-monsters-ceo-how-to-manage-multiple-triple-a-games/
- ↑ Welcoming Firewalk Studios to the PlayStation Studios family, April 2023. Hulst, Herman.
Tony Hsu and Ryan Ellis: "Fortunately, we’ve been supported by great partners throughout – ProbablyMonsters helped turbocharge us in setting up the studio, and Sony has been supporting our project and our creative vision from the beginning." - ↑ https://venturebeat.com/games/probably-monsters-ceo-how-to-manage-multiple-triple-a-games/
- ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-signs-aaa-multiplayer-game-from-former-destiny-veterans
- ↑ Linkedin profile
- ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/04/20/welcoming-firewalk-studios-to-the-playstation-studios-family/
- ↑ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230420005272/en/Sony-Interactive-Entertainment-to-Acquire-Firewalk-Studios-from-ProbablyMonsters-Inc.
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/concord/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-shooter-concord-going-offline-this-week
- ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-our-live-service-games-will-target-different-genres-release-schedules-and-audiences