Leslie Benzies opens Budapest studio and recruits former Crytek Hungary boss

Leslie Benzies' Everywhere project now has a third studio working on it.

The former Rockstar exec and GTA designer revealed plans for a new studio empire at the end of January, with offices in Edinburgh and LA. Now a third office has been added in Budapest. This studio will be led by Kristoffer Waardahl, the former head of Crytek Hungary, and already contains a number of veteran developers with triple-A, mobile and VR experience.

Little concrete details have been revealed about the Everywhere project, although Benzies describes it as a "platform where players can be entertained, and also entertain others while blurring the lines between reality and a simulated world." It will be an open-world game, which is no surprise considering the involvement of several leading GTA creators.

Waardahl has spent a decade in video games, and has worked on projects including Ryse: Son of Rome, The Collectables and Crysis Warhead. He told GamesIndustry.biz: "To develop and build a beautiful open world game is one of our core passions and it resonates deeply with the team. When we heard Leslie's vision for the game we jumped at the opportunity to join Everywhere and are delighted to be part of the core team bringing the game alive."

Studio head Matthew Smith added: "Kristoffer and his team share our desire to create compelling and forward-looking video games, and their experience both technically and creatively is a great fit for the Everywhere team."

Benzies announced Everywhere last month alongside the news that the firm is using Amazon's Lumberyard engine to create it. It has set up outfits around the world in an effort to attract the best talent, irrespective of their location. The company has already hired former GTA veterans Matthew Smith and Colin Entwistle (technical director) to his senior team, and is currently undertaking a recruitment drive across all offices.