Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Game Studios, a mobile game development studio with offices in Helsinki and Berlin. This acquisition reaffirms SIE’s commitment to delivering innovative experiences to new players around the world by expanding to additional platforms, and further demonstrates its continued emphasis on fostering the industry’s best creatives.
Savage Game Studios is led by veteran co-founders Michail Katkoff (Rovio, Zynga, Fun Plus, Supercell), Nadjim Adjir (Wargaming, Rovio, Gree), and Michael McManus (Wargaming, Insomniac, Kabam), who collectively bring decades of mobile game development and operating experience. Their team is already at work on an unannounced new AAA mobile live service action game.
“PlayStation Studios must continue to expand and diversify our offering beyond console, bringing incredible new games to more people than ever before,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. “Acquiring the talented team at Savage Game Studios is another strategic step towards that goal. I’m really excited about what Savage is working on and I’m confident they will deliver a high-quality experience. Our move into mobile, like our expansion into PC and live service games, strengthens our capabilities and our community, and complements PlayStation Studios’ purpose to make the best games that we can.”
“Savage Game Studios was founded by industry veterans yearning to challenge the status quo and bring meaningful innovation to mobile gaming,” said Michail Katkoff, CEO and Co-founder of Savage Game Studios. “Today’s announcement reflects our firm belief that SIE shares our passion for experimentation and taking risks. We have great admiration for the consistency and quality of PlayStation’s first-party catalog, knowing just how hard it is in this industry to deliver time and time again as they have. We’re honored to become part of that legacy, and to join PlayStation Studios’ world class collective of immensely talented designers, artists, and engineers. We’re early in development on our unannounced project but can’t wait to show you more of what we’re working on.”
Savage Game Studios will join the newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, an independent operation from console development. The PlayStation Studios Mobile team is focused on creating new experiences for players through innovative, on-the-go gaming based on new and existing PlayStation IP that meets PlayStation Studios’ high-quality standards. SIE’s efforts to reach gamers wherever they play – be that mobile, PC, or live service offerings – will continue to complement its existing expertise building unparalleled single-player, narrative-driven AAA console games.
The day-to-day operations post-acquisition will continue to be run by Savage Game Studios’ current management team. Terms of this transaction including the acquisition cost are not disclosed due to contractual commitments.