Sandsoft opens its second headquarters in Barcelona, making the city its main European base

We regularly cover this year's disheartening news of studio closures and layoffs in the video game industry. But equally, sometimes we're glad to see that amidst all the restructuring and cutbacks there are initiatives that are taking off, expanding and creating new jobs, as in the case of Sandsoft, which is opening a new studio in Barcelona.

The studio, a publisher and investor focused on "social, innovative and accessible" games for mobile devices, announced today that it is opening a new development office in Barcelona, where it already had one dedicated to administrative issues open since the beginning of 2022. This new studio will be led by Alexandre Besenval, who joins the company as Vice President of the Barcelona studio. With the opening of this new division, Barcelona will become the main European base for the Riyadh-based company, which will bring in talent locally and from across the continent to work on new titles of its own. The studio is expected to grow progressively and create 60 new jobs over the next three years.

David Fernandez, CEO of Sandsoft, says: "Barcelona is a city that holds a special place in my heart and is already home to a thriving community of game makers. It is also a perfect place for talented developers from all over Europe to come and be part of what we are building at Sandsoft. As a relatively new company, this is a unique opportunity to be part of creating new games and new IP at a time when new titles are in short supply. I can think of no one better than Alexandre to lead this exciting phase of our growth."

Alexandre Besenval, Vice President and head of Sandsoft's Barcelona studio, adds:

"Sandsoft has the ambition to build a truly global and diverse games company, and I am happy to be part of that. From the outset I was impressed by the team's commitment to creating engaging experiences for gamers around the world, and the opportunity to shape them from the ground up alongside talented colleagues has been a great incentive. A studio is only as good as its people, and we want to surround ourselves with the best talent to build a mobile gaming dream team."

Of course, the new offices are going to need staff, so if you have the right skills and/or training, be sure to visit their website where they have already posted some open applications.