Epic Games teams with Factor 5 co-founders to open new studio in Cologne, Germany

Epic Games has established a new German studio in Cologne. Led by Factor 5 co-founders Julian Eggrebrecht and Achim Moller, the new outfit will reportedly be “expanding focus on emerging forms of interactive media and streaming technologies”.

Reportedly working “on the forefront of media delivery, working with Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, as well as serving as technology partners for both Nintendo and Sony”, Julian Eggebrecht will serve as Epic Games’ director of online technology, whilst Achim Moller will serve as Cologne studio director. 

The new studio marks the Fortnite developer’s third base in Germany, complementing the preexisting Berlin and Munich studios. 

“At the core of Epic’s success are highly-skilled and passionate individuals,” said Eggebrecht via a press release. “Germany is a nation at the forefront of technology and we look forward to extending our local presence as we fill newly created roles and hire exceptional talent.”

Epic Games currently has nearly 200 open roles across dozens of global locations, including positions at the Cologne studio. For more information, head to epicgames.com/careers.

Epic Games recently joined THQ Nordic and a host of other game developers in pledging to improve transparency about the odds of loot boxes in their games. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony recently announced new initiatives designed to aid consumers in making “informed choices” about their purchases, including information about loot boxes. The three hardware developers confirmed they will “require” developers releasing games on their platforms to disclose information about the “relative rarity or probability of obtaining randomised virtual items” by 2020. 

In a statement, Epic said: “Earlier this year, the Fortnite Save the World team made a change that showed players every item that they would get in a paid llama before opening it. 

“Earlier this week, the team at Psyonix announced a similar change coming later this year to paid crates in Rocket League. Going forward, we’re committed to the same transparency for player purchases in all Epic Games titles.”