Former Multiplay boss Craig Fletcher invests $330,000 in Toadman Interactive
Funds will be used to boost development on upcoming esports title Sky Fighter Legends
Swedish studio Toadman Interactive has secured just under $330,000 from a prominent figure in the UK games industry.
Craig Fletcher, formerly of gaming events firm Multiplay, has invested three million Swedish Krona ($327,048) in 133,334 shares for the studio. He will also work directly with the development team as the initial project leader on forthcoming title Sky Fighters.
The game is a top-down shoot-em-up with a competitive four-on-four multiplayer that was originally announced and developed by Artplant, before Toadman acquired the studio earlier this summer. The multiplayer element is a key focus for the developer, which believes Sky Fighter Legends could become a successful esport and hopes to draw on Fletcher's experience to realise this.
Fletcher has decades of experiences in competitive gaming and multiplayer events, having founded Multiplay back in 1997. Multiplay was acquired by UK retailer GAME back in 2015, and Fletcher served as CEO until 2016.
He left the firm in December 2017 and now operates as an investor and consultant, as well as a board member for the British eSports Association. He has previously invested $125,000 in indie publisher Raw Fury.
Meanwhile, Toadman Interactive is best known for contributing to other video game projects, including Escape from Dead Island, the still-in-development Dead Island 2, and Warhammer: Vermintide.
"I've been following Toadman for a long time and they have impressed me in a number of ways," said Fletcher. "Their approach to efficient production and value creation through expansion, acquisition and innovation, combined with a talent for great game creation, makes them an impressive team.
"Through my experience in the gaming industry and esports, I think I can contribute to the business in many ways and an initial step is to explore the possibilities with, among other things, Sky Fighters. I look forward to getting to work with Toadman and thank its representatives for the opportunity to be onboard."