Fractional/ launches to connect studios with senior strategy and operations expertise

• Jim Squires founded Fractional/ to support studios facing tighter budgets.
• The consulting collective has operated in stealth since October 2025.
• Fractional positions itself as a matchmaker rather than a traditional agency.

Newly formed consulting collective Fractional/ has launched to help game studios access senior expertise outside of core development. 

Founded by industry veteran Jim Squires, Fractional/ focuses on what it describes as “everything but making the game,” connecting studios with operators across marketing, business development, and related disciplines. 

The founding collective includes communications veteran Kelly Ekins, longtime Xbox community figure Larry Hryb, marketing and events specialist Stephanie Greenall, and games journalist and VR consultant Henry Stockdale.

The company has been operating in stealth since October 2025 and has already worked with clients including Commodore International, Halfbrick Studios, and Trace AR.

Matchmaker model

Unlike traditional agencies, fractional/ works exclusively with independent contractors rather than full-time staff. Squires said the approach allows the collective to act as a matchmaker rather than an employer. 

Moreover, Squires added that the model is designed to help studios manage costs while giving experienced talent greater autonomy over how and where they work. Fractional/ will offer limited in-person meetings in San Francisco from March 9th to 12th.

“We’re a matchmaker, not an employer - and there’s a significant difference there,” said Squires. “We’re not incentivised to tell you what you want to hear in a pitch meeting, or to force mismatched solutions just to keep everyone working." 

He added: “The games industry is in a time of crisis, and we’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s there, and it’s up to all of us to play an active role in deciding where it leads. 

“For fractional/, that means creating a model that helps studios manage costs while giving experienced talent more autonomy over how and where they work.”