Sanzaru Games

Corporate brand

Sanzaru Games was an American video-game developer known for console ports, remastered PlayStation titles, and virtual-reality games.

Last updated August 25, 2026

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Overview

Sanzaru Games, Inc. was an American video-game development studio founded in 2006 by seven former Activision employees, most of whom had worked at Z-Axis. The company began operations in January 2007 and was based in Foster City, California, with an additional office in Dublin, California. It also operated a satellite studio in Ottawa, Ontario, under the name Kitazaru. The name Sanzaru refers to the three wise monkeys, commonly called sanzaru in Japanese, a motif associated with the studio's identity. The company entered the market as a developer of licensed and platform-focused projects. Its first release was Ninja Reflex, a collection of reflex-oriented mini-games launched in 2008 for PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii. Sanzaru followed this with a PlayStation 2 port of Secret Agent Clank in 2009, adapting a game originally developed by High Impact Games for PlayStation Portable. These early projects established the studio as a flexible external-development partner capable of adapting existing games across platforms. Sanzaru gained greater visibility through The Sly Collection, a high-definition remaster of the Sly Cooper games originally created by Sucker Punch Productions for PlayStation 2. The collection was released for PlayStation 3 in 2010 and later appeared on PlayStation Vita. The studio subsequently assisted Big Fish Games with Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident for Wii and developed Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, a new entry in the Sly Cooper series that was ultimately released in 2013 after a delay from its originally anticipated 2012 window. The studio was also associated with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, contributing a remake of Spyro: Year of the Dragon. In the later part of its independent period, Sanzaru shifted substantially toward immersive entertainment and virtual reality. Its most prominent original VR project was Asgard's Wrath, an action-adventure game for Oculus Rift released on October 10, 2019. The title helped position Sanzaru as a significant developer within the emerging Oculus software ecosystem. Facebook acquired Sanzaru Games on February 25, 2020, and placed it within the company's Oculus Studios organization, later associated with Meta's Reality Labs division. The acquisition changed the studio from an independent contractor and multi-platform developer into a first-party virtual-reality studio. Sanzaru's corporate identity continued under the Oculus Studios structure rather than becoming a broadly marketed consumer brand in its own right. On January 13, 2026, reports stated that Meta had closed Sanzaru Games, alongside fellow Oculus Studios developers Armature Studio and Twisted Pixel Games, during layoffs affecting Reality Labs. The closure ended the studio's operations. Afterward, former Sanzaru developer Mat Kraemer announced the formation of Sneaky Devil Studios with other former Sanzaru staff. Sanzaru's legacy therefore spans licensed console development, remastering of established game franchises, and the production of a major first-party VR action-adventure title.

History

Sanzaru Games was established on November 9, 2006, by seven former Activision developers. Most of the founding group had previously worked at Z-Axis, and the studio was led by co-founder Glen Egan. Although founded in 2006, the company began active operations in January 2007. It adopted the name Sanzaru, a Japanese term associated with the three wise monkeys. The studio's first project was Ninja Reflex, released on March 1, 2008, for PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii. The title introduced Sanzaru as a developer able to produce and adapt game experiences for different hardware platforms. In 2009, the company created a PlayStation 2 port of Secret Agent Clank, a game originally developed by High Impact Games for PlayStation Portable. Sanzaru's profile increased substantially with The Sly Collection. Released for PlayStation 3 on November 9, 2010, the collection remastered the Sly Cooper games originally developed by Sucker Punch Productions for PlayStation 2. It was later released for PlayStation Vita, extending the studio's role from straightforward porting into preservation and enhancement of an established console franchise. Sanzaru also assisted Big Fish Games on Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident, released for Wii in 2011. The studio then developed Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. The game had initially been expected in 2012 but was delayed before its eventual release in February 2013. Sanzaru was also involved in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, contributing the remake of Spyro: Year of the Dragon. These projects reinforced the company's reputation for working with recognizable intellectual property and established platform holders. In the second half of the 2010s, Sanzaru increasingly focused on virtual reality. Its most prominent project in this area was Asgard's Wrath, an action-adventure game for Oculus Rift released on October 10, 2019. On February 25, 2020, Facebook acquired the studio and placed it within Oculus Studios. After Facebook's corporate rebranding, the studio operated within the broader Meta Reality Labs organization. Sanzaru's independent existence ended when reports on January 13, 2026, said that Meta had closed the studio as part of Reality Labs layoffs. Armature Studio and Twisted Pixel Games, other Oculus Studios developers, were reported as being closed at the same time. In the months following the closure, former Sanzaru personnel helped establish Sneaky Devil Studios. The company's history consequently reflects the evolution of game outsourcing and franchise support into first-party VR development, followed by consolidation within Meta's virtual-reality business.

2026
Studio closed
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Reports said Meta closed Sanzaru Games during layoffs affecting Reality Labs.
2020
Acquired by Facebook
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Facebook acquired Sanzaru on February 25 and placed it within Oculus Studios.
2019
Asgard's Wrath released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Sanzaru released its Oculus Rift virtual-reality action-adventure game on October 10.
2013
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
The studio's new Sly Cooper installment launched in February after being delayed from its earlier planned release window.
2011
Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Sanzaru assisted Big Fish Games with the Wii release of Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident.
2010
The Sly Collection released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Sanzaru's high-definition remaster collection of the Sly Cooper games launched for PlayStation 3.
2009
Secret Agent Clank port released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Sanzaru released a PlayStation 2 adaptation of the PlayStation Portable game Secret Agent Clank.
2008
Ninja Reflex released
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
The studio's first game launched for PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii.
2007
Studio begins operations
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Sanzaru began active operations in January and established its base in Foster City, California.
2006
Sanzaru Games founded
[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Seven former Activision developers, primarily former Z-Axis employees, founded Sanzaru Games on November 9.

Products and positioning

A versatile game-development studio combining licensed and external development, franchise remastering, multi-platform adaptation, and first-party virtual-reality production.

Multi-platform game · 2008
Ninja Reflex
Sanzaru's debut game was a reflex-focused collection released for PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii. It served as an early demonstration of the studio's ability to develop for substantially different platforms and control schemes.
Console port · 2009
Secret Agent Clank
Sanzaru produced the PlayStation 2 port of Secret Agent Clank, adapting a title originally developed by High Impact Games for PlayStation Portable.
Remastered game collection · 2010
The Sly Collection
This high-definition collection updated the Sly Cooper games originally created by Sucker Punch Productions for PlayStation 2. It launched on PlayStation 3 and was later made available for PlayStation Vita.
Adventure game · 2011
Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident
Sanzaru assisted Big Fish Games with this mystery and hidden-object adventure for Wii, expanding the studio's work beyond its own independent releases and platform ports.
Action-adventure game · 2013
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Sanzaru developed this new entry in the Sly Cooper franchise. It was delayed from an expected 2012 window and released in February 2013.
Remake
Spyro: Year of the Dragon remake
Sanzaru contributed a remake of Spyro: Year of the Dragon that appeared as part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
Virtual-reality action-adventure game · 2019
Asgard's Wrath
Asgard's Wrath was Sanzaru's major original virtual-reality title. The action-adventure game was designed for Oculus Rift and released in October 2019, shortly before Facebook acquired the studio.

Brand decisions

2026
Meta closes Sanzaru GamesStrategy
Background
Meta carried out layoffs within Reality Labs and its Oculus Studios group.
Action taken
Meta shut down Sanzaru Games, alongside Armature Studio and Twisted Pixel Games, according to reports published on January 13.
Aftermath
Sanzaru ceased operations, and former employees subsequently formed or joined new independent development efforts including Sneaky Devil Studios.
Source
2020
Facebook acquires Sanzaru GamesM&A
Background
Sanzaru had developed Asgard's Wrath for Oculus Rift and had become an established developer in the virtual-reality ecosystem.
Action taken
Facebook acquired the studio and placed it within Oculus Studios, later operating under the wider Meta Reality Labs organization.
Aftermath
The acquisition shifted Sanzaru from an independent multi-platform developer into a first-party virtual-reality studio.
Source

Recent events

2026
Meta closes Sanzaru Games during Reality Labs layoffs[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change · Other
Reports stated that Meta shut Sanzaru Games alongside Armature Studio and Twisted Pixel Games as part of layoffs affecting Reality Labs and Oculus Studios.
2026
Former Sanzaru developers form Sneaky Devil Studios[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
Other
Former developer Mat Kraemer announced the creation of Sneaky Devil Studios with other former Sanzaru staff following the closure of Sanzaru Games.
2020
Facebook acquires Sanzaru Games for Oculus Studios[1]Sanzaru Gamesen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Facebook acquired Sanzaru Games and integrated the studio into its Oculus Studios organization, bringing the developer under the company's emerging virtual-reality business.

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