PlayStation Acquires Studio Behind One of the World's Most Popular Games

By Marc Deschamps

The gaming division of Delight Works, which is the team responsible for Fate/Grand Order, has been purchased by Aniplex. Prior to the purchase, the gaming division will be turned into a separate company, which will then become a wholly owned subsidiary of Aniplex, which in turn is owned by Sony. Aniplex has been the publisher of the game since it first released, but now the game and its developer will be owned by Sony. It's a bit early to say for certain, but this could indicate that the company is looking to make big moves in the mobile gaming department. At this time, it's unclear how expensive the purchase will be.

For those unfamiliar with Fate/Grand Order, the free-to-play game released in Japan back in 2015, and in North America in 2017. Over the last six years, the game has become one of the highest-grossing mobile titles in the world, bringing in billions each year. The game has also inspired spin-offs (including one for PlayStation VR), an anime, a manga, and even stage plays.

Mobile gaming has grown exponentially over the last decade or so. There are a lot of reasons that some gamers aren't fond of it, most notably because of how quickly microtransactions can add up. Indeed, the microtransactions in Fate/Grand Order have led to reports of incredible spending in the game; a 2018 Wall Street Journal report profiled a man that spent $70,000! This type of spending remains a big source of controversy, but given the revenues that Fate/Grand Order has seen, it's not hard to figure out why they hold so much appeal for companies like Sony.

Since Aniplex has been involved with the game since the beginning, Fate/Grand Order fans can rest easy; the shift in ownership is unlikely to result in any major changes to the game itself. However, it will be interesting to see whether this leads to PlayStation becoming more invested in the overall mobile gaming market.

Are you a fan of Fate/Grand Order? What do you think of Sony purchasing the developer? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Crunchyroll Games]

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