The success story of Housemarque continues to grow.
The Finnish studio behind Returnal and the upcoming Saros has revealed just how much the company has expanded since becoming part of PlayStation Studios. According to studio leadership, Housemarque has nearly tripled in size over the last decade, transforming from a small arcade-focused developer into one of Sony’s fastest-growing first-party teams.
From Nex Machina To AAA Development
Speaking during an appearance on The Game Business Show, Housemarque co-founder and studio head Ilari Kuittinen reflected on the dramatic changes the studio has undergone in recent years.
Around the launch of Nex Machina in 2017, Housemarque employed roughly 40 to 50 people. Today, that number has climbed to almost 120 developers, all working on a single large-scale project.
For a studio that spent much of its history creating arcade-inspired experiences and twin-stick shooters, the jump to AAA game development required a completely different approach.
“It’s quite different jumping into this scale of doing one game at a time with this amount of people. That’s been a big change in the studio to learn how to make these bigger experiences, and how to organize that.”
The growth reflects not only the studio’s success but also Sony’s confidence in Housemarque following its acquisition in 2021.
Returnal Elevated Housemarque To A New Level
Long before Returnal, Housemarque had already built a loyal following through titles such as Super Stardust HD, Dead Nation, Resogun, and Alienation.
However, it was Returnal that introduced the studio to a much wider audience.
Released exclusively for PlayStation 5 in 2021, Returnal combined the developer’s trademark fast-paced gameplay with a larger narrative focus, cutting-edge visuals, and roguelike mechanics. The game became both a critical and commercial success, earning numerous Game of the Year nominations and helping establish Housemarque as one of Sony’s most promising first-party studios.
Kuittinen believes the success of Returnal marked the moment when Housemarque truly became part of the PlayStation family.
“We are now truly a PlayStation first party as we have shipped the game.”
He also described the experience of being recognized by fellow PlayStation studios as one of the most rewarding moments in the company’s history.
Saros Represents The Studio’s Biggest Ambition Yet
The next step in Housemarque’s evolution is Saros, the studio’s upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive.
While Sony has only revealed limited details so far, the game is already being positioned as Housemarque’s most ambitious project to date. Early footage suggests the studio is building upon the foundations established by Returnal while significantly expanding the scope, production values, and overall scale of the experience.
With nearly 120 developers now working under the Housemarque banner, Saros represents the clearest example yet of how much the studio has grown since its arcade roots.
Smaller Projects Are Still On The Table
Despite the focus on larger productions, Housemarque isn’t ruling out smaller experiences in the future.
Kuittinen revealed that the team remains interested in exploring projects that may not require the same level of investment as Saros.
“There are interesting opportunities we’d like to look at that might not be at the scale of Saros. There are so many things that we want to explore.”
While no future projects were discussed, the comments suggest Housemarque is eager to maintain the creative spirit that helped define its earlier work.
From a small team creating arcade shooters in Finland to one of PlayStation’s premier first-party studios, Housemarque’s journey has been remarkable. With Saros on the horizon and the studio continuing to grow, the next chapter could be its most exciting yet.
