‘GTA 5’ Developer’s Super-Secret New Studio Hires Three Industry Veterans

Games ‘GTA 5’ Developer’s Super-Secret New Studio Hires Three Industry Veterans Matt Gardner Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. A British writer covering indie and retro gaming, esports, and more. New! Follow this author to improve your content experience.

Got it! Jul 21, 2022, 08:48am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Build A Rocket Boy is developing the super-secretive open-world game ‘Everywhere’. Chris Fleming (CC BY-SA 2. 0) / Build A Rocket Boy Everywhere , one of the biggest upcoming game that nobody’s talking about–not even the studio behind it–has had its development bolstered by the hiring of three huge industry veterans, with the team promising a major announcement or two about the incredibly secretive title in the coming months.

Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by Leslie Benzies–the legendary Scottish video game producer and former president of Rockstar North who produced every 3D Grand Theft Auto game, as well as Manhunt and Red Dead Redemption –has been quietly working on Everywhere since it was founded in 2016, and its team has swelled to over 400 developers across its sites in Edinburgh, Budapest, and Los Angeles. After a whopping six years of development, no screenshots or trailers have been released for the open-world game, which is being created with Unreal Engine 5; even Everywhere ’s storyline hasn’t been made public. “It’s a game.

It’s a community. It’s a new world,” the studio ruminates . “The storm is on the horizon.

And it is only the beginning of Everywhere . ” With its three new hires, Build A Rocket Boy has secured an executive structure, combining decades of expertise from some of the world’s most recognized businesses in gaming: Mick Hocking joins the company as chief development officer. Hocking, a racing games specialist, is the co-founder of Evolution Studios ( WRC , MotorStorm , Driveclub ), the former vice-president of product development at Codemasters ( F1 , Dirt , Dirt Rally , Onrush ), and vice-president for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Murray Pannell becomes senior vice-president of global marketing, following stints at 2K as the vice-president of publishing for Europe ( NBA 2K , Borderlands , Civilization , Mafia , XCOM ), marketing director for PlayStation UK and Ireland (launching the PS4), and marketing director for Ubisoft ( Assassin’s Creed , Rayman , Driver: San Francisco , Just Dance ). Randall Price is Build A Rocket Boy’s chief publishing officer, following a 15-year career culminating in his role of senior vice-president of global business for ArenaNet ( Guild Wars ), and three years as senior vice-president of publishing for ArenaNet’s parent company, NCSOFT. “Since 2016, Build A Rocket Boy’s team has been quietly growing, and today we’re delighted to publicly welcome Mick, Murray, and Randall to the studio,” said chairman and game director Benzies.

“Each brings a huge amount of experience, knowledge, and passion to Build A Rocket Boy as we continue development on Everywhere , and we’re looking forward to having more to announce from the team later in 2022. ” MORE FOR YOU ‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2 Finally Has An Actual 2021 Release Date Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Not A Sure Thing, Says Director ‘Genshin Impact’ Still Refuses To Increase Anniversary Rewards, Despite Fan Outcry Given the seemingly endless hype that surrounds the likes of Starfield , Redfall , the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , God of War Ragnarok and countless others, it’s amazing that Everywhere has largely escaped coverage; with the potential for a big reveal later in the year, all this may change, if Build A Rocket Boy follows through with its intention to share more about the project. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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