Razorworks rescued by Rebellion

Former Empire Interactive studio Razorworks, the potential closure of which Develop revealed last month, has finally found its knight in shining armor – Rebellion.

The 30-strong team, which is best known for the Ford Racing series, will be absorbed into Rebellion’s Oxford headquarters. The addition of the Razorworks team will give Rebellion the skills and leverage to enter the racing game market and pitch for driving projects.

This isn’t the first time that Rebellion has stepped in to rescue a fellow British independent developer – in the past few years it has bought Awesome, Strangelite and Core Design in order to boost its status, making it the biggest multi-site independent studio in Europe.

“We’ve been keeping our eye on Razorworks since we bought Strangelite from Empire Interactive in 2006. We heard some very good things about the set-up, the team and their approach, which is very similar to our own," said Jason Kingsley, CEO and creative director of Rebellion.

"So, when we had the opportunity to buy the studio, we seized it with both hands. At a time when the UK industry faces many challenges, keeping and retaining a team with a proven track record is essential if UK developers are to compete on the world stage. We’re very happy to welcome Razorworks to Rebellion and we look forward to working together on some very exciting projects.”

Chris Kingsley, Rebellion CTO added: “The Razorworks purchase is in line with our ambitious expansion plans. The Razorworks team will be joining us in the Oxford studio and will bring a raft of experience to our current and new projects. Razorworks will also be the focal point in expanding Rebellion knowledge base and portfolio.