SAROS Might Be PlayStation 6 Exclusive Based On Housemarque Update

Anticipation for SAROS has been building up ever since the game was revealed at the PlayStation February 2025 State of Play. But apart from the reveal teaser, Housemarque hasn't published any updates on the game so far. This, however, has changed, and they've revealed another update on their upcoming game, SAROS. Housemarque's CEO and co-founder, Ilari Kuittinen, discussed in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat how becoming part of PlayStation Studios enabled them to create a high-budget game like SAROS. This game would not even have existed without Sony's support.

Kuittinen said the development of SAROS began in 2022, so they have been working for more than two years now. Still, it's early for us to expect it to be released in 2026, and it could even slip into 2027 during the year Sony is planning to launch the PlayStation 6. Still, this prediction could be mistaken, and I really hope that's the case. Perhaps then we will see it earlier if Housemarque is developing from the ground of Returnal, that is, refining and including new ideas while using what they already have.

Still, it's not certain. If SAROS is set to release in 2027 during the time of PS6, then it's probably going to be among the PlayStation 6 launching titles, along with a few other highly anticipated games from PlayStation studios like Marvel's Spider-Man 3, The Last of Us Part III, Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 and a few more.

However, Kuittinen also discussed the studio's past during the interview. Before Sony acquired Housemarque in June 2021, the studio had to handle many small, unrelated tasks just to keep afloat. Games they probably wouldn't have developed otherwise include Transworld Snowboarding, Nex Machina, and Stromdivers. Kuittinen said something like, "We felt it was better to join a big family than stay independent for the next few years".

To be fair, though, Housemarque's sale to Sony seemed like the best move for everyone involved at the studio. It allowed them to approach more ambitious tasks and take chances since they had financial stability. This seems like one of those unusual great acquisitions: Sony's acquisition of Housemarque enables them to produce bolder, more ambitious games rather than just survive. And really, it seems Housemarque is overjoyed about it. They wished this would happen so they could concentrate on producing great games without financial constraints.

Although the specifics of the sale are still somewhat unknown, it's obvious that selling to Sony was the best course for them. It allowed them to dream more freely; quite frankly, they seemed delighted about it. This is one of those uncommon instances where an acquisition really does ultimately make sense. Sony acquired an able studio, and Housemarque earned the support they needed to advance boundaries and produce something outstanding. And Returnal was what we got from them. Returnal was one of the best games of 2021, and every action roguelike fan absolutely adored it.

Kuittinen, however, didn't reveal much about SAROS. Perhaps this part of the interview was avoided. But we can assume that things are going well with SAROS since the development has reached the 2-year mark. Even though Housemarque did reveal that SAROS will have significant changes compared to Returnal, Returnal's success will give them the confidence and the foundation they need for SAROS' success. SAROS will surely carry matters to the next level, and it could become quite unique, just like Returnal.