Next-gen titles planned for new Avalanche studio

Just Cause developer Avalanche has officially opened its new next-gen “triple-A” studio in New York.

Former Activision and Atari exec David Grijns will head the new team.

The studio will focus on the development of “large-scale, online-enabled original IP for next-generation consoles, handhelds and PC.”

The Swedish developer said it plans to hire up to 50 new staff within the next two years to support the production of a triple-A game, codenamed Project Mamba, due for release on PC and consoles in 2014.

Whilst no confirmation has been given, the future project could be a next-gen console title given the nature of the studio and that the game is a few years away from completion.

The new branch is a 10,000 square foot facility in Manhattan’s SoHo district, and can be expanded by a further 3000 square feet in future.

“Today is a great day for Avalanche Studios as we have achieved yet another goal by establishing a new studio in the greatest city in North America,” said Christofer Sundberg, as reported by Eurogamer.

“We are one of the few independent, triple-A budget studios remaining in the world after the disastrous economic recession of the last few years.

“While this was a huge wake-up call for everyone in our industry, we have prepared for this expansion for over three years and it is a great feeling to execute our plans with such resounding success.

Avalanche Studios was founded in Stockholm in 2003, and has seen huge success with its Just Cause franchise, whilst its latest digital release, Renegade Ops, has received an average rating of 80 on Metacritic.