VR developer and publisher nDreams has established a new internal studio called Compass after closing two others.
In a statement sent to Game Developer, the company confirmed it recently shut down nDreams Studio Orbital and nDreams Studio as part of a restructuring program announced last year. A number of workers from those teams have now joined Compass. Others have been laid off.
“As part of the strategic refocus that we announced in September, we regrettably lost talented members of our teams and also altered our multi-studio development structure,” said a company spokesperson.
“This unfortunately meant closing nDreams Studio Orbital and meant that nDreams Studio could not continue in its current form. Both teams did brilliant work and many people from those affected studios have been retained within nDreams’ new look structure, with several of those forming part of the new Compass studio.”
Enter Compass studio
Compass will be led by former Activision, EA, and King veteran Callum Godfrey, who previously worked on franchises including Call of Duty and Operation Flashpoint.
The 40-person team intends to target the “growing audience of young VR natives” by rapidly prototyping games while learning from data and communities.
The studio will take a “democratic approach” to development by allowing any team member to pitch game concepts. It will also support a mixture of hybrid and fully-remote employees.
It has only been a few months since nDreams confirmed it could make 17.5 percent of its workforce redundant to more effectively navigate a “challenging” VR market.
At the time, nDreams CEO Patrick O’Luanaigh said the company still hoped to create “medium-defining titles” but claimed that mission required a “renewed strategic focus.”
The company feels the opening of Compass reaffirms its commitment to the market.
“VR audiences are more diverse than ever, with an influx of gamers into the market who choose VR as their primary gaming platform, and Compass is uniquely placed to meet their needs,” said Compass studio head Callum Godfrey.
“Drawing from nDreams’ vast VR experience, and a studio filled with talented and enthusiastic game makers who are empowered to be bold and explore the breadth of different genres, game mechanics, themes and art styles that this new demographic opens up, Compass is fully focused on creating titles that will touch the lives of a new generation of VR players.”
The formation of Compass and recent closures means there are now three studios under the nDreams banner: Compass, Near Light, and Studio Elevation.