Ilari Kuittinen Exits Housemarque After 31

Ilari Kuittinen has left Housemarque, the PlayStation studio he co-founded. The Saros developer shared the news on August 31, 2026, marking the end of Kuittinen's 31-year tenure.

In a final message, Kuittinen reflected on his journey. "After 33 years in the games industry and 31 incredible years at Housemarque, the studio I co-founded with Harri Tikkanen, today marks my last day at the company," he said. He traced the studio's origins back to 1993 with Terramarque, leading to the establishment of Housemarque with Tikkanen in 1995. "We had a passion for games but no real blueprint for building a business. Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate."

Leadership Philosophy and Studio Evolution

Kuittinen described his core purpose as a leader. "My core purpose as a leader has always been simple: to facilitate an environment where extraordinary creators have the freedom and protection to do what they do best." This philosophy guided the studio through decades of change.

Housemarque's commitment to gameplay remained constant, but its scope expanded. The studio moved beyond pure arcade shooters during the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 eras. It launched the PS4 with Resogun in 2013. Later titles like Alienation (2016) and Nex Machina (2017) continued its twin-stick shooter lineage before a major shift to truly push the boundaries of its capabilities.

The Path to AAA and PlayStation Studios

The studio's capabilities grew significantly with 2021's Returnal, a story-driven roguelike for PS5. This evolution into a AAA developer was one of three achievements Kuittinen highlighted in his letter. The others were the studio's game portfolio and its status as a pioneering Finnish game studio.

Sony officially cemented the company as a PlayStation Studio later in 2021. The studio's latest release, Saros, launched in April 2026 with Kuittinen there for it all. IGN's review scored Saros a 7/10, noting it "tries at an interesting and ambitious story it isn't always able to effectively tell, but Housemarque has once again proved that its bullet-hell sensibilities mesh incredibly well with fluid and challenging action." Fans can track the studio's future releases on our fixtures page and see how its titles perform in our stats hub.

A Planned Transition and Future

Kuittinen clarified his departure was not sudden; it was something he, Hakala, and the rest of the team have been carefully planning behind-the-scenes. Studio veteran Sami 'Haxu' Hakala officially took over as managing director on July 1, 2026.

"Housemarque’s strategy and creative vision are in exceptional hands," Kuittinen added. For himself, he plans a break. "After 33 continuous years without a major break, I am taking a rare and well-deserved breather trying to find out how good I am at doing nothing!" He thanked his co-founder, partners at Sony Interactive Entertainment, and every team member who has ever walked through Housemarque’s doors for the "privilege of a lifetime." With new leadership, the studio's ongoing development and any roster changes can be followed on our squad page.