MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.
Formation Games, developer of upcoming mobile football ownership game CLUB, today welcomes Ho-Yee Li (formerly of Mediatonic), Claire Charalambos (Sport England), Ross Hammond (Channel 4), and Dillon Powlett (Improbable) to the studio. Joining them is industry newcomer and apprentice, Poppy Bennett (Tottenham Hotspur FC), affirming Formation’s commitment to fostering new talent in the video games sector.
Formation Games was founded in 2021. CLUB is the studio’s first title and the first free-to-play football team ownership video game that allows players to build and own their own football club. Formation Games is led by CEO Jonty Barnes, a games industry veteran of 33 years and former General Manager of Bungie’s Destiny franchise. Formation’s Chair, Alex Horne, is an experienced business leader who was CEO of The English Football Association for five years.
Formation Games’ new starters are:
- Ho-Yee Li, who joins Formation Games as Senior Producer, will lead production activities across the studio. Her extensive 16-year tenure in production includes leading positions at Interior Night and Epic Games studio Mediatonic, where she led an engineering initiative on the BAFTA-nominated Fall Guys.
- Claire Charalambos joins as Head of Finance, following senior finance roles at Sport England and The English FA. At the FA, Charalambos was in the core team responsible for the transition between the former and current Wembley stadiums.
- Ross Hammond joins as Senior Graphic Designer. Hammond’s prolific experience at a myriad of agencies includes projects with King, Google, Chelsea FC, Team Sky, The FA, and recently with Channel 4 during its recent identity and platform redesign.
- Dillon Powlett joins as IT Consultant. Powlett has over a decade of experience in providing technical support to a range of companies, most recently at the metaverse technology company Improbable and PlayStation London Studio.
- Poppy Bennett joins Formation Games as its Multi-Media Marketing Apprentice. This is Bennett’s first role in the video games industry and marketing at large, following both player and coaching roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Stevenage football clubs.
“We are not just focused on creating a groundbreaking game; we are committed to establishing an enduring studio that upholds the highest cultural standards,” said CEO Jonty Barnes. “To achieve this, we are bringing in a mix of industry top talent and fresh faces into our world of gaming. We are particularly thrilled to welcome Poppy Bennett, who has joined us through the UK government apprenticeship scheme. It is crucial for Formation Games and the entire gaming industry to make itself accessible and welcoming to new talent, as they bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. In the short time that Poppy has been with us, she has already made a significant impact on our company culture with new ideas and her dedication to incorporating authentic football experiences into our game.”
Currently in closed testing, CLUB is the football ownership entertainment experience where Club Owners (COs) build their dream club from the ground up. More than management, COs make crucial decisions on every aspect of their club from their kit, stadium and sponsor, to signing real players based on real-world data and climbing the leagues to continental glory. With a narrative authentic to football culture and strategy gameplay from some of gaming’s brightest development talents and football’s most authoritative leaders, CLUB is a genre-shattering social experience coming to mobile devices in 2024.
Investment in Formation Games comes from an array of more than 20 backers and angel investors, specialising in GameFi, football and media, along with the support and expertise of Formation Games’ investor Advisory Group.
CLUB will launch on Google Play and Apple stores in 2024. For more information visit ClubGame.app.
