Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen exits from studio

Bryant Francis,Senior Editor,GameDeveloper.com

August 31, 2026

2 Min ReadImage via Housemarque/PlayStation

Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder and CEO of PlayStation-owned game studio Housemarque, has announced his exit from the company after 31 years of game development.

Kuittinen announced the move in a post on LinkedIn, where explained the company has been preparing for this transition for several months. One major stabilizing move was the appointment of Sami "Haxu" Hakala as Housemarque managing director. Kuittinen said he has spent the time since then supporting "him and the leadership team" to ensure "complete operational continuinity and stability."

"Housemarque's strategy and creative vision are in exceptional hands," he said.

His departure comes after a very long run with the studio—a rarity in the video game industry. Kuittinen co-founded the company with Harri Tikkanen in 1995 after the two merged their existing companies: Bloodhouse and Terramarque. Today, the company is the oldest active game studio in Finland.

Under his leadership, Housemarque built publishing relationships with companies like Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, and most consequentially, Sony Computer Entertainment (today known as Sony Interactive Entertainment). Sony first published Super Stardust HD in 2007 on the PlayStation 3, and the two companies' working relationship would see them partnering on exclusives like Resogun and Matterfall. Then in 2021, Sony purchased Housemarque, bringing it into the fold of PlayStation Studios. It's since released Returnal and Saros under that banner.

This is one of several leadership changes that have taken place at PlayStation Studios over the last few years, with studio heads and co-founders like Ted Price, Brian Fleming, and Evan Wells retiring after similar decades-long runs at the helm of their companies. Now Kuittinen joins their ranks with the promise that he is taking "a rare and well-deserved breather."

"Remember our guiding light: strive to be a better professional, and a better human being," he said in a closing bit of advice. "Take care of each other, speak with courage, and keep pushing the boundaries of what games can be."

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About the Author

Bryant Francis

Senior Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Bryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios' 4X strategy game Zephon, Iron Anchor Studios' Down With The Ship, and Amplitude Studio's 2017 game Endless Space 2.

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