Playtonic Games opens Leamington Spa studio

Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic has opened a second office in Leamington Spa.

The studio, formed by former staff of UK developer Rare, has recently attracted investment from Tencent, with plans to work on multiple projects -- including a sequel to its 2017 3D platformer.

"I've been pushing for a second studio for a while," Simon Gerges, head of software, tells GamesIndustry.biz. "Leamington is a great place to be and it's full of game developers. We want to broaden our reach, without going too far. We want to stretch our reach across the midlands. We've got a number of senior roles that we're looking for, and it would be good to have Leamington as an option.

"We're looking at a hybrid way of working, but we still believe in the power of office working. We have a small office that fits up to ten initially, and we'll see how that goes. It's a really amazing office called 1 Mill Street, where Mediatonic was for a while."

Gerges adds that the office isn't purely for senior staff, but hopes its place in Leamington will help attract more experienced employees.

"Also, Leamington is an amazing place to live," he says. "I absolutely love it. And I think that anyone who wants to up sticks and move, they might be more willing to move to Leamington."

Playtonic boss Gavin Price adds: "We are going to remain hybrid, which we were before. But we are going to be even more flexible. It's about the task. If it's a task that requires being around people and gesticulating, then go into the office. But if you're working on a task that doesn't require a presence, then don't come in. We are not going to set an arbitrary time or metric about how often you should be in."

He adds that it's possible that Playtonic may yet go further afield with additional office spaces.

"We're very open minded and we know that if we want talented people, if we want strong leadership, then you have to go to them. People have all the power. We have to pitch ourselves to them."