Chinese gaming and tech conglomerate Tencent has announced the formation of a new U.S.-based game developer. Lightspeed LA has begun forming a team of industry professionals, ultimately aiming for making a new next-gen game for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
“We're ushering a new era of game culture by combining world-class development with a stress-free work environment,” enthused Studio Head Steve Martin as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. “From day one, our teams will be focused on building the highest caliber games while promoting integrity, proactivity, collaboration, and creativity.”
Steve Martin — no relation to the entertainer with the same name — is a veteran developer whose most recent experience is working on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 over at RockStar Games in leadership roles. He also contributed to the development of Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, and both Need For Speed: Underground and Need For Speed: Underground 2.
Martin is joined by a team of developers from a variety of other AAA studios. Lightspeed LA has already recruited talent from Rockstar Games, Respawn Entertainment, 2K Games, and Insomniac — and there are sure to be more people joining the studio in the coming months and years.
What Will Be the First Lightspeed Studio Game?
Now that we know who’s working at this new studio, the big question is this: what will be the first Lightspeed LA game?
Considering that they’re just starting out now, this new developer is being quite cautious about revealing any specific details. That said, we do know that they’re going to be working on a AAA open-world game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X; there’s no mention as to whether or not this mystery game will get a PC or Nintendo Switch release.
Lightspeed LA has nonetheless recruited some impressive talent to its ranks. Whatever it does come up with, it’s sure to be worth checking out.
Correction: We initially named the studio as Lightspeed Studio The correct name is Lightspeed LA. We apologize for the error.
What do you think Lightspeed LA’s first game will be about? Do you think a new open-world AAA game can succeed amidst the sea of competitors? Let us know in the comments below!
