Vela Games, new AAA-indie studio, reveals player first strategy to transform multiplayer co-op games

(Brighton) July 10, 2019 – Vela Games, a new AAA-indie studio, officially launches today at Develop:Brighton. Based in Dublin, the studio is committed to creating engaging, co-operative games that put players at the heart of the development process. Vela Games is looking to meet with phase two investors, partners and developers to take their first unannounced original IP title into production.

Before speaking to an audience of press and industry at Develop:Brighton, co-founder Travis George commented, “We’re a small studio, but we have big ambitions. We’re not just making another battle royale, or a game where co-op is just an optional feature. We can make amazing, genre-defining experiences by doing things differently and starting with co-op from the ground up.”

Founded in 2018, Vela Games has raised €3.4 million in initial seed funding and grown to a team of 13 talented developers, most of them ex-AAA. The studio is committed to “player first” development, where players are at the heart of every decision throughout the development process.

“Being a player first developer means players’ motivations and passions inform our decisions,” said co-founder Lisa Newon George. “As an anthropologist, my role is to facilitate the voice of the player from the very beginning and to make our game and community as strong as it can be.”

“We love multiplayer and, as developers, we understand why players love it too,” added co-founder Brian Kaiser. “Most multiplayer games aren’t delivering rich, long-lasting co-operative play, because they aren’t building the experience from the ground up. Our goal is to design a whole new kind of a game that reflects what players love, while putting co-op front and center.”

Vela Games was founded by Travis George, Brian Kaiser, and Lisa Newon George. All three are ex-AAA developers, who previously held positions at Riot Games and Electronic Arts among other studios. As well as leading development on their first title, the leadership team will be focused on building a company culture that avoids harmful working practices and allows Vela Games developers to reach their full potential.

“We value our players, but we also value our team,” added Travis. “We chose Dublin as our base so we could recruit amazing international talent and give them excellent quality of life. By creating a great environment and team, we can create a great game.”

For more information or to speak to Vela Games, contact Bastion - velagames@bastion.co.uk