diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index a4bbf61a1..3c7f04fbe 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -19,3 +19,6 @@
 [submodule "3rdparty/LibAtrac9"]
 	path = 3rdparty/LibAtrac9
 	url = https://github.com/shadps4-emu/ext-LibAtrac9.git
+[submodule "3rdparty/freetype"]
+	path = 3rdparty/freetype
+	url = https://github.com/freetype/freetype.git
diff --git a/3rdparty/freetype b/3rdparty/freetype
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..42608f77f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/3rdparty/freetype
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 42608f77f20749dd6ddc9e0536788eaad70ea4b5
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 30724ac32..0c156dd83 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "")
 add_subdirectory(3rdparty/SDL2)
 set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${ANYPS5_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS}")
 
+set(FT_DISABLE_ZLIB ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(FT_DISABLE_BZIP2 ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(FT_DISABLE_PNG ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(FT_DISABLE_HARFBUZZ ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(FT_DISABLE_BROTLI ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(SKIP_INSTALL_ALL ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+add_subdirectory(3rdparty/freetype EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+set_target_properties(freetype PROPERTIES POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
+
 add_subdirectory(core/shader/recompiler)
 add_subdirectory(core/libs)
 add_subdirectory(core/relinker)
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceFont/FontLibrary.cmake b/core/libs/prx/libSceFont/FontLibrary.cmake
index 36f76410a..26e287f39 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceFont/FontLibrary.cmake
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceFont/FontLibrary.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
-
 function(add_sce_font_library target)
     set(fontDir ${CMAKE_CURRENT_FUNCTION_LIST_DIR})
     add_library(${target} SHARED EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ function(add_sce_font_library target)
             ${fontDir}/src/Unimplemented.cpp
     )
     target_include_directories(${target} PRIVATE ${LIBS_INCLUDE_DIR})
-    target_link_libraries(${target} PRIVATE Freetype::Freetype libc)
+    target_link_libraries(${target} PRIVATE freetype libc)
     set_target_properties(${target} PROPERTIES
             CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF
             CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceFontFt/CMakeLists.txt b/core/libs/prx/libSceFontFt/CMakeLists.txt
index c1fa26487..6428668cd 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceFontFt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceFontFt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
-
 add_library(libSceFontFt SHARED EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Export.cpp
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/Driver.cpp
 )
 
 target_include_directories(libSceFontFt PRIVATE ${LIBS_INCLUDE_DIR})
-target_link_libraries(libSceFontFt PRIVATE Freetype::Freetype libc)
+target_link_libraries(libSceFontFt PRIVATE freetype libc)
 set_target_properties(libSceFontFt PROPERTIES
         CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF
         CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden