Amidst the Gamescom Opening Night Live event, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced the acquisition of Insomniac Games. This will bring the SIE first-party family to a total of 14 studios and ends Sony’s new developer drought. Their last major studio purchase occurred in 2011, with Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Productions.
Insomniac and Sony’s long-standing relationship dates back 23-years with the original PlayStation and the critically acclaimed but commercial failure Disruptor. They soon bounced back with Spyro the Dragon in 1998 and continued developing exclusives for the PlayStation including the beloved Ratchet & Clank series and the 1st-person shooter franchise Resistance. Insomniac began branching out to additional platforms, most notably developing the very underrated Xbox One exclusive, Sunset Overdrive in 2014.
Over the last half-decade, Insomniac has diversified its portfolio with mobile and VR titles alongside annual AAA releases. Their latest Sony exclusive, 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, propelled the studio further into the spotlight. In less than a year since release, it has topped Arkham City as the best selling superhero game in North America. As of July, it sold over 13.2 million copies making it the 2nd best selling PS exclusive behind Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
A sequel to Insomniac’s Spider-Man has been rumored to be in development for some time. The game’s continued financial success and news of the studio’s acquisition more than likely confirm this.
In other Spider-Man news, the Tom Holland version of the character may no longer be included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While separate from the gaming IP, if Sony and Disney are unable to reach an agreement it may have unforeseen effects on Insomniac’s sequel.
