Chinese holdings company Tencent is expanding its presence in the AAA video game space by opening a new Orange County-based studio called LightSpeed LA. The team, which falls under Tencent’s existing Lightspeed & Quantum subsidiary, will be tasked with developing a new open-world game for next-generation consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X.
LightSpeed LA will be led by Rockstar Games veteran Steve Martin, who previously held leadership roles on Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Martin explained his intention to create “a crunch-free and inclusive culture” for the development team in a statement sent to Twinfinite in a press release:
“We’re ushering a new era of game culture by combining world-class development with a stress-free work environment. From day one, our teams will be focused on building the highest caliber games while promoting integrity, proactivity, collaboration, and creativity.”
Notably, former 343 Industries developer Scott Warner Tweeted earlier this year about his intention to join a new AAA video game project funded by Tencent. It seems Lightspeed LA is the project he was referring to.
Other members of the LightSpeed LA team include former members of companies such as Rockstar Games, Respawn Entertainment, 2K Games, and Insomniac.
In other Tencent video game news, the company recently appears to have acquired the rights to System Shock 3’s website, suggesting the troubled project could have new funding.
