Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder and managing director of PlayStation Studios developer Housemarque, has announced his departure from the company. Kuittinen posted on X that today marks his last day, stating the transition has been in the works for some time. Sami “Haxu” Hakala has assumed the managing director role as of July 1.
Kuittinen, who has spent 33 years in the gaming industry and 31 years at Housemarque, plans to take a hiatus before re-engaging with the industry through trade shows and consulting. In his farewell message, he highlighted the studio's achievements, including pioneering Finnish game development on a global scale and creating titles such as Supreme Snowboarding, Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal, and Saros.
Founded decades ago, Housemarque initially gained recognition for its high-tempo arcade action games. The studio's partnership with Sony began in 2007 with the release of Super Stardust HD, followed by other titles like Dead Nation and Resogun. While these games received positive reviews, Kuittinen noted in 2017 that the arcade genre's commercial performance was declining, signaling a shift in the studio's direction.
In 2021, Housemarque released the critically acclaimed roguelike action game Returnal, which blended its signature fast-paced combat with a narrative-driven sci-fi experience. Shortly after Returnal's exclusive launch on PS5, Sony acquired Housemarque and integrated it into PlayStation Studios.
Earlier this year, Housemarque launched Saros. According to Alinea Analytics, the game experienced a slow start, selling approximately 300,000 units. However, the studio downplayed these figures in an interview with The Game Business, noting that Returnal also saw slow initial sales.
Kuittinen's departure follows that of other co-founders from PlayStation Studios. Ted Price of Insomniac Games stepped down in January 2025, and Brian Fleming of Sucker Punch did the same in December 2025. These exits occur as Sony aims to increase spending from its existing player base, a strategy discussed by Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki in an interview with The Wall Street Journal amidst flatlining PlayStation 5 sales. The company has also faced significant backlash regarding its planned discontinuation of physical disc production in 2028.