Sony May Have Acquired Kena Dev Ember Lab, New Trailer Clue Suggests

A copyright notice in a recent PlayStation trailer hints that Sony has acquired Kena: Bridge of Spirits developer Ember Lab and the Kena IP, though nothing is official yet.

Well, this is a sneaky one. Sony might have quietly scooped up Ember Lab, the studio behind Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and the Kena IP itself — and the clue is hiding in plain sight in a brand-new PlayStation trailer.

Here's the deal. eagle-eyed fans over on Reddit's leak-focused subreddit spotted something interesting in the PlayStation × LISA promotional video that just went live on the official PlayStation channel. Around the 0:28 mark, the rights information for Kena: Cosmolia's Wound — the upcoming sequel — lists Sony Interactive Entertainment as the rights holder. That's a pretty telling detail, because it suggests SIE now owns the IP outright, and in all likelihood the studio that makes it too.

For context, Kena: Cosmolia's Wound is an action-adventure game developed by Ember Lab and published by Sony SIE. It's currently slated to launch in 2027. The original game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, came out years ago, so fans have been waiting a good while for this follow-up.

Now, before you get too excited, let's pump the brakes a little. Sony hasn't made any official announcement about an acquisition. Zero. Nada. Everything we're talking about here is speculation derived from that one tiny copyright detail in a trailer. It's a strong hint, sure, but it's still just a hint until the folks at PlayStation say something official.

Still, it's hard to ignore. Copyright and trademark listings don't usually change hands by accident, and seeing SIE's name attached to the Kena sequel's rights is the kind of breadcrumb that usually leads somewhere. If the acquisition is real, it would make sense — Sony has been steadily building out its first-party lineup, and bringing a studio with a proven, well-liked IP under the PlayStation umbrella fits the pattern.

So what do you think? Is this just a boring paperwork update, or is Sony about to officially welcome Ember Lab to the family? Let us know your take in the comments.