Acquisitions · Video games
Sony agrees to buy Destiny and Halo creator Bungie for $3.6 billion
- Buyer
- Sony Group (Sony Interactive Entertainment) (Tokyo)
- Target
- Bungie, Bellevue, Washington
- Value
- $3.6B
- Status
- Completed on July 15, 2022, for about $3.7 billion after adjustments. Bungie's separate status later eroded: in 2025 Sony said it would bring the studio more tightly under PlayStation Studios, and CEO Pete Parsons stepped down in August 2025.
- Date
- 2022-01-31
Sony Interactive Entertainment signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% of Bungie, the independent Bellevue, Washington, studio behind Halo and Destiny. The $3.6 billion consideration includes the purchase price and committed employee incentives. At the time, Sony said Bungie would remain an independent subsidiary run by its own board and could keep publishing on multiple platforms.
Why it matters
It was Sony's largest game acquisition and a direct bet on live-service games, made days after Microsoft's Activision Blizzard bid reshaped the industry.
The deal
Sony Interactive Entertainment agreed on January 31, 2022 to buy 100% of Bungie, the Bellevue, Washington studio that created Halo and makes Destiny. The $3.6 billion total included money set aside to keep staff. The deal closed on July 15, 2022, at about $3.7 billion after adjustments. Bungie was to stay independent, with its own board, and keep releasing games on other consoles.
What went wrong
Destiny 2 fell short of expectations, and Bungie cut about 100 of its 1,200 staff in October 2023 and 220 more in July 2024. Sony then pulled the studio closer into PlayStation Studios, and CEO Pete Parsons left in 2025. Its new game Marathon launched in early 2026. Sony has since written down about $765 million of Bungie assets, VGC reported.
Where it stands
After Destiny 2's final update in June 2026, Sony laid off most of the Destiny team and some Marathon staff, and studio head Justin Truman stepped down. Sony says Marathon remains an important part of its lineup.
Sources
Kakehashi M&A News home
