<p>Japanese giant Sony is acquiring Bungie, the developer of Destiny and the original creator of the hugely popular Halo franchise, for $3.6 billion.</p>.<p>The news came shortly after Microsoft's announcement to acquire Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.</p>.<p>Bungie will "continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games," its CEO Pete Parsons said in a statement late on Monday.</p>.<p>Halo was one of Microsoft Xbox's flagship franchises, but after a few sequels, Bungie was spun out into an independent company.</p>.<p>In 2013, Bungie launched the Destiny game which became a huge hit.</p>.<p>"I've been a fan of Bungie for many years. I have admired and enjoyed the games that they create - and have great respect for their skill in building worlds that gamers want to explore again and again," said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios.</p>.<p>"We will be ready to welcome and support Bungie as they continue to grow, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible team," Hulst added.</p>.<p>Parsons said that in Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), "We have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungiea¿s heart".</p>.<p>"Since taking flight in 1991, Bungie has always charted the future with our own star map -- a path that is driven by our people and for our community," he added.</p>.<p>Bungie is currently hiring across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and for all new worlds beyond.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>Japanese giant Sony is acquiring Bungie, the developer of Destiny and the original creator of the hugely popular Halo franchise, for $3.6 billion.</p>.<p>The news came shortly after Microsoft's announcement to acquire Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.</p>.<p>Bungie will "continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games," its CEO Pete Parsons said in a statement late on Monday.</p>.<p>Halo was one of Microsoft Xbox's flagship franchises, but after a few sequels, Bungie was spun out into an independent company.</p>.<p>In 2013, Bungie launched the Destiny game which became a huge hit.</p>.<p>"I've been a fan of Bungie for many years. I have admired and enjoyed the games that they create - and have great respect for their skill in building worlds that gamers want to explore again and again," said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios.</p>.<p>"We will be ready to welcome and support Bungie as they continue to grow, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible team," Hulst added.</p>.<p>Parsons said that in Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), "We have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungiea¿s heart".</p>.<p>"Since taking flight in 1991, Bungie has always charted the future with our own star map -- a path that is driven by our people and for our community," he added.</p>.<p>Bungie is currently hiring across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and for all new worlds beyond.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>