Activision UK ‘signs Rockstar duo’

Two game development executives with senior roles at Rockstar have joined Activision’s new mobile studio, a new report suggests.

It is claimed that Mark Washbrook and Mark Lloyd, both cited as developers for Rockstar in the UK, are helping industry veteran Martyn Brown with building Activision’s new development hub.

Plans are in place to hire as many as forty developers at the "Leeds studio", according to GamesIndustry International.

Develop understands that staff at Worms creator Team17, also based in Leeds, have met with Brown to discuss job opportunities.

Washbrook played a part in establishing Rockstar London, and has spearheaded the studio during its production on a number of handheld games. He left Rockstar to join SCEE.

Lloyd is a quality assurance specialist with more than ten years’ experience.

It is not clear whether the two, or Brown himself, will be working for Activision once the studio is established.

Yesterday it was revealed that Activision will once again expand its studio empire to the UK with a new mobile division.

The publisher’s aggressive lobbying for games tax breaks was seen as a foretoken to the investment it was willing to put in the UK.