Paradox Interactive is expanding its presence in the U.S. by opening a new studio in the Bay Area: Paradox Tectonic. The new internal development studio, located in Berkeley, CA, will be helmed by Rod Humble, former Executive Vice President at EA and former CEO of Linden Labs (the creative minds behind Second Life).
Humble’s pedigree in simulation games like Second Life and the Sims (as he had his hands in both The Sims 2 and The Sims 3) bring an interesting flavor to Paradox Interactive’s growing collective of bespoke studios. Each of Paradox’s internal development studios — including Seattle’s Harebrained Schemes and The Netherlands’ Triumph Studios — have created immersive, strategic experiences with rich narrative in games like Battletech and Age of Wonders.
“Our aim with Paradox Tectonic is to create open, fun, beautiful games which respect the players’ intelligence and enables their creativity, freedom, emotion, and sharing,” Rod Humble, Studio Head at Paradox Tectonic, said in a statement. “Our studio structure is using best practices for modern development: a flat organization in a low-friction environment with a team of highly experienced domain experts. It’s a privilege to be reunited with so many world-class colleagues from so many triple-A projects, and the team and I are delighted to join Paradox and be part of driving the company’s next cycle of growth. Our shared values of quality and putting the customer first made Paradox the perfect fit for us.”
It’s unclear how Paradox Tectonic will fit into Paradox Interactive’s strategy game portfolio, but CEO Ebba Ljungerud is confident that the studio’s location, regardless of cost of living, will play into its overall success.
“Opening a studio in the California Bay Area puts us in the heart of one of the largest gaming and tech communities in the world,” Ebba Ljungerud, CEO of Paradox Interactive, said in a statement. “Rod Humble and his team bring a wealth of experience and a studio leader who has led work on games that have shaped the industry several times over. We hope to have some earth-shaking news to share from the Tectonic team soon.”
Paradox Interactive doesn’t open internal development studios on a whim — Ljungerud is methodical in her decision-making and has been swift to cull issues. And with the high cost of living in the Bay Area, Paradox is making it clear that it is willing to invest serious capital into ensuring the success of its latest venture.
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