NetEase Games is behind the creation of a new studio, Fantastic Pixel Castle, powered up by veteran talent Greg Street who brings considerable experience from his work at Riot Games and Blizzard to the mix.
Street was previously lead systems designer on Blizzard’s World of Warcraft before the jump to Riot Games to be head of creative development, VP of IP and entertainment and finally VP and EP, MMO R&D project at Riot.
As studio head and game director at Fantastic Pixel Castle, Street will oversee development on a new MMO. The as yet untitled game - codenamed Ghost - is set in a new fantasy world and aims to bring back central pillars of the MMO genre such as playing with friends and building a community. The game is currently “in the early stages of development” according to the new company’s website.
He'll be working alongside a team with decades of experience working on World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant and League of Legends.
Hitting a home run
Interestingly Fantastic Pixel Castle will be a fully remote team. “We think top-heavy bureaucracy stifles creativity, so we aim to stay small as we focus on delivering a game and a world that you will love,” they say.
NetEase have confirmed Fantastic Pixel’s "remote-first" structure and will "provide each individual the autonomy and support needed to bring Ghost to life."
Writing on LinkedIn Street said “These past few years made me think a lot about my future and what I want to accomplish. They’ve made me think of the kinds of games I wanted to make as the defining milestones of my career: I want to make games I am truly passionate about and that players will love. They’ve also made me think of the effectiveness of remote work and how it can help me stay closer to my family.
“That is why I'm excited to announce that I am starting my own remote studio! Our goal is to move fast and go big. Fortunately, I have found a great strategic partner aligned with this vision, and we are moving forward! And yes, it will be an MMO or something very MMO-like!
“We’re not ready to share the new studio’s name or game details. Yet. Rather, the purpose of this message is that we're still looking for a few elite folks to round out our adventuring party. We will hire less experienced devs later (and yes some with no experience) but for now we are looking for leaders with serious industry experience. Hit me up on Twitter or LinkedIn if this is you.
"If you know me, I value trust, empathy, and open communication, and that applies to both the dev team itself and to players.
"Most importantly, players will be the judge of whether we win or lose. Things will be quiet for a bit while the adventuring party gears up, but we do plan to share what we’re working on early and often. We want to get you excited, hear your feedback, and give you the chance to catch our mistakes. This is the only way I personally feel I can make great games!’’
