On Monday, one of the Gears POP! developers, Mediatonic, announced plans for a new UK-based studio in Leamington Spa. Mediatonic are one of the UK’s largest independent developers. The new studio will coexist alongside their others in London, Brighton, Guildford, and Madrid. The new studio aims to help expand Mediatonic’s current development force by creating at least 60 new jobs. The announcement was made during Interactive Futures, a 2-day event held in the UK that educates video game enthusiasts, students, and children about potential careers in the games industry.
The developers are very excited about the expansion and the future of their team. They are hoping the new UK-based studio will have a positive impact on the local community. Leamington Spa has seen a sharp rise in the number of developers setting up shop over the past few years. It is on the right path to becoming a major development hub for the UK. Phil Warner, Head of Art at Mediatonic expressed his hopes for the future: “Cultural growth is all about sharing – and I can’t wait to see how the Leamington Spa community and Mediatonic will bring out the best in each other.”
In September of 2005, two students (David Bailey and Paul Croft), released their first game, Snowman Salvage, to viral success. This was the first game made by, what would shortly after, become Mediatonic. Since then, Mediatonic has gone on to become one of the UK’s most successful independent developers. Some of their recent releases have included games such as the pigeon dating sim (?), Hatoful Boyfriend and Gears POP!, a mobile strategy game set in the Gears of War universe. As with the majority of their previous work, both of these games were released to commercial and financial success.
They Are Currently Hiring
Having a vast back catalogue of games and a development team of over 220 people, it’s no surprise that the team over at Mediatonic is keen to look for new ways to expand. The new office is expected to be fully operational by 2022, with some staff being taken on sooner than others. Applications are currently open for new positions in the Leamington Spa office as well as the 4 other studios around the UK and Europe.
It’s always nice to hear of UK-based developers thriving. I’m looking forward to hearing more exciting news coming out of this office in the near future.
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