Housemarque Co-Founder Ilari Kuittinen Steps Down After 31 Years

Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder and managing director of PlayStation-owned game studio Housemarque, has announced his exit from the company after 31 years of game development. Kuittinen shared the news in a post, explaining that he started out in 1993 with Terramarque before joining forces with Harri Tikkanen to establish Housemarque in 1995. Under his leadership, the studio remained fiercely independent for 26 years before being purchased by Sony in 2021 and brought into the PlayStation Studios family.

Reflecting on his tenure, Kuittinen noted milestones such as boosting Finnish game development globally, achieving AAA success with titles like Returnal and Saros, and maintaining a unique creative identity. The studio had been preparing for this transition for several months, with Sami "Haxu" Hakala stepping into the managing director role to ensure operational continuity and stability. Kuittinen is taking a break from work before planning to return down the road for mentoring or consulting.