MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This content was created in association with Sharkmob as part of DEVELOP/JOBS 2021.
Sharkmob is a game studio based in Malmö, Sweden and London. The studio develops AAA quality games for PC and console, using Unreal Engine to power its ambitions of taking multiplayer games to new heights.
Sharkmob was founded in 2017 and acquired by Tencent Games in 2019. The founders wanted to make games differently and to create a company culture where ownership was central and work/life balance was promoted and prioritized. The studio was built on the notion that happy employees who have fun at work will flourish creatively and make awesome games.
Sharkmob is working on three major projects: a battle royale set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe set for release in 2021; and two proprietary, unannounced titles.
The most important part of Sharkmob is its crew – so we strive for a healthy, productive atmosphere where everyone plays an important role. We have a passion for our craft and want to excel – from office managers, to writers or coders to art directors. All employees enjoy a 10% profit share bonus and yearly performance-based bonus.
We give direct feedback to each other, allow for work-life balance with flexible working hours and 6 weeks holiday, distribute ownership and make time for social events like beer-tasting, kitbashing sessions and game jams.
We have offices in Malmö, Sweden and London.
Location(s): London
Team size: 19
Key hiring areas: Engineering, Technical Art, Animation, Combat
Recruitment contact: Michelle Simon, michelle.simon@sharkmob.com, Michelle Simon | LinkedIn
FROM THE TEAM: BEN PENROSE, ART DIRECTOR, SHARKMOB LONDON
I am art director for Sharkmob London where we’re building a team of world class developers to work across some exciting titles. We’re looking for artists across a broad spectrum of specialist disciplines to join us and make our games look and feel beautiful, as well as being fun to play.
I joined the London studio in 2020 and have been working with a team of really experienced developers ever since – it’s been thrilling to see our collective levels of ambition, talent and energy come together and we have already built a real sense of mission and teamwork.
And that’s just the beginning – I am incredibly excited about the adventure we’re about to go on together, and am really looking forward to meeting future talent we recruit.
I joined this industry with a passion for creating unique worlds, characters and experiences and Sharkmob is truly a place where those things can be explored. If that sounds like you – get in touch!
FROM THE TEAM: MARTIN CONNOR, DESIGN DIRECTOR, SHARKMOB LONDON
Along with James, Sam and Ben, I’m one of the founders of Sharkmob London. As the studio design director I’m working in tandem with Sam to oversee all things design to come out of the London studio.
Right now that includes a few things – concept development for the London studio’s project, being part of the director team on one of Malmö’s projects and, importantly, building a world-class design team for our London studio.
Currently, the design team is seven people strong. We’re already covering a number of different design sub-disciplines: game design, level design, tech design & vehicle handling design. Our team is already quite cosmopolitan with four different nationalities represented. My time at Sharkmob (seven and-a-half months now) has flown by.
To be trusted to the extent that we are, is a breath of fresh air. I feel incredibly fortunate to have landed this gig. We’re building something truly epic and I can’t wait to be in a position to share more, somewhere down the line.
We have open roles across most disciplines and these can be found on our career site. The roles listed below are a priority for us; if you apply and your skills match then expect an immediate response.
Senior Animator
London
The Senior Animator will create great animations that capture our player’s imaginations. They will be proactive and work with the wider team to drive our project forward with exciting ideas. They will have a passion for creating cutting edge AAA animations that fully leverage what is possible with modern toolsets and hardware.
Senior Vehicle Artist
London
The Senior Vehicle Artist will collaborate on all creative and technical aspects of the projects to draw players into the experience with highly detailed compelling vehicles. They will be proactive and work collaboratively with the team to drive our project forward with exciting ideas.
Lead Character Artist
London
The Lead Character Artist will create great looking characters and will collaborate with the Tech teams to define and maintain Character content pipelines and work. They will be handling communication between Sharkmob, outsourcing studios and external artists.
Lead Technical Artist
London
The Lead Technical Artist will breathe life into our worlds, vehicles and characters by working with the Art and Engineering teams. They have a passion for creating AAA visuals to fully leverage what is possible with modern toolsets and hardware. Maintaining the great communication between London and Malmö teams.
Lead Gameplay Engineer
London
The Lead Gameplay Engineer will collaborate with Design, Narrative and Art to bring to life world class experiences. They will be passionate and thrive on engineering excellence as well as pushing the boundaries of what is possible with new and innovative solutions.
