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The Multiplayer Guys, an exciting remote outfit with offices in Nottingham, is planning on growing to 500+ people over the next five years. The future looks bright and busy for the ambitious co-development studio.
This article was created in collaboration with Aardvark Swift.
With a portfolio supporting some of the most exciting projects in recent years, some they can discuss and others they’re tight-lipped about, the work-for-hire studio spotted a gap in the market and seized upon that opportunity. It’s allowed them a period of unprecedented growth, which is why James Bowers of Aardvark Swift visited their Nottinghamshire office to discuss just what the future holds for The Multiplayer Guys.
“The journey we’re on is going to be astronomical. It’s probably going to be one of the largest hiring drives that I’ve ever been involved with,” says Jaymes Chapman, head of recruitment. “Vaughan [O’Brien] did a fantastic job of hiring 50+ people last year, and I’ve kind of taken up from where he left off. I’m pretty competitive, so even if I beat that record by one person, I’ll be happy.”
The need to grow is natural considering the projects the team have been involved in; as well as the number of ambitious things they have in the pipeline for current and next-gen systems. “We talk about getting up to a 500+ person organisation, and I can only see that happening. The projects demand it,” says Chapman.
Growth is a word that comes naturally to the team, it’s all they’ve ever known. The studio had humble beginnings and it is still technically in its infancy. “The Multiplayer Guys was an idea that Rick [Alexander] and his wider leadership team [Steve Bennett and Rocco Loscalzo] had roughly two years ago now. Rick went to a conference and gave an overview of what The Multiplayer Guys could potentially offer. Before he even landed back in the UK his phone was ringing, asking for support on several projects for different studios,” states Chapman.
The secret to the success of The Multiplayer Guys is flexibility, diversification and a laid-back culture. A large portion of their staff work remotely and could feasibly be based anywhere in the world. “There’s a challenge for talent out there, especially really good talent. If you’re passionate about what you do, we can accommodate that massively. We work remotely for our clients, so we should be able to resonate that with the people that we hire.”
With the nature of the games industry, with both logistical and geographical challenges, Chapman goes
on to say that remote work will always be an option for
the right person.
The Multiplayer Guys aren’t content resting on the success they’ve already achieved. They’re hiring across the board, building out not just their engineering team, but their art team too. “From an outsider looking in, The Multiplayer Guys is an extension of some of the most innovative studios working in the world right now. We are an outsourced solution that offers services globally to studios that might need engineering assistance [in a multiplayer capacity].
“We are in the process of building out a creative team, to help with the creative direction across studio partners that we work with now and in the future. Game art is huge, we all know we’ll play a game if it interfaces really well and the user experience is amazing. Harvey [Parker] came onboard to build out that team last year.”
You’ll be able to listen to the full discussion with Jaymes, including his fascinating career history of how he represented his country in Rugby and helped build digital services for the Balkan region, in an upcoming episode of the Aardvark Swift Podcast; available now via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, third-party apps and the aswift.com website!
