Report: Housemarque Reveals New Ambitious IP Saros Wouldn’t Be Here Without The PlayStation Aquisition

Nearly four years ago, Finnish game studio announced its acquisition by PlayStation’s Sony Interactive Entertainment. Alongside Bluepoint Games, the two would be welcomed to the PlayStation Studios lineup. The deal follows the launch of Returnal on PlayStation 5. “This intense, pulse pounding action experience on top of all of the other things I have mentioned all add up to making Returnal my favorite Playstation 5 game so far, and one of my favorite action games of the last few years,” our review for the game reads.

Returnal also grabbed the attention of PlayStation in its new push for multiplatform dominance. In 2023, the game officially arrived to PC via Steam. And from the recent PlayStation State of Play this February, Housemarque announced that the team is working on a new IP in the same vein as Returnal with Saros. Currently, there is only a 2026 release window promised.

According to a new development as per WCCFTech, Saros is Housemarue’s most ambition project yet. Reflecting on the acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment back in 2021, the developer shares that Saros would not have been realized if still independently operating as it did prior to the deal to join PlayStation, Ilari Kuittinen CEO tells Helsingin Sanomat.

Alongside the abundance of resources permitted by the PlayStation purchase, Housemarque also reveals that the Finnish firm did have to adjust to the HR policies defined by corporate Sony. But, that majority of the ambition is defined by the opportunity only available through Sony with the game’s immense budget. Although undisclosed, it is compared to Alan Wake 2’s which is recorded around €70 million.

Similarly, there was another story that also surfaced on a project over at Xbox Game Studios. Near its release in 2021, Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer revealed that Psychonauts 2 wouldn’t be the game it is without its deal at Xbox. Many aspects including boss fights were only possible due to the acquisition. You can read the full report by heading here.

Are you surprised by this new development for Saros?