This indie studio has the experience of Hitman and The Division behind it and is now planning a competitive multiplayer title. It is expected to be released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and will be based on an existing franchise.
Five former employees of Ubisoft Massive have left and jointly started the indie studio “Sharkmob”. It is clear that a lot of experience is at play here, as the founders have worked on games like Hitman and The Division.
They are now working on an existing IP and want to build a multiplayer out of it.
Social, challenging, and multiplayer – Based on a “cult IP”
The indie studio Sharkmob is now revealing first details about the upcoming game from their house. The game is set to be released on PC and likely later for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The CEO, Fredrik Rundqvist, states that they chose an existing IP (an intellectual property) to turn the game into a franchise. In the long run, the game will be supplied with fresh content.
In an interview with Gamesbeat, Rundqvist explained:
“We are not really interested in developing a more traditional single-player game. What we play privately, the kind of games we love, are very social, very competitive, and always multiplayer. The more, the better. In our opinion, the pure mechanics are not that exciting when you don’t have the right IP, the right setting, the right fantasy that can really engage players with the game mechanics. I think this also gives a good idea of what kind of game we are currently developing.”
For an indie studio consisting of five people, these are ambitious plans. However, at Sharkmob, a lot of experience is gathered.
- Fredrik Rundqvist was Executive Producer at The Division and Chief Operating Officer at Massive
- Anders Holmquist is a former Technical Director at The Division and its Snowdrop Engine
- Martin Hultberg is the former IP Director of The Division and Head of Comms at Massive
- Petter Mannerfelt held positions as Game Director, Producer, and Technical Director at The Division
- Rodrigo Cortes was the Art Director at The Division and the Brand Art Director at Hitman
The team has secured a license for an existing IP that they want to turn into a franchise. IP stands for Intellectual Property, meaning intellectual property. In the gaming industry, “IP” usually refers to a brand or a game franchise.
What do you think, which existing IP has the team grabbed to transform it into a franchise with competitive multiplayer?
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