Gavin Raeburn, the former Studio Head and Founder of Forza Horizon developer Playground Games, has established a new triple-A studio named Lighthouse Games. He has assembled a group of world-class developers, including key founding members of Playground Games’ original team, to work on a new unannounced IP.
Lighthouse Games aims to create a studio that embodies the cutting edge of video game development by allowing developers to create their best work in a collaborative environment. They are recruiting industry talent across all disciplines, offering them a seat at the forefront of triple-A innovation.
Gavin Raeburn is a prominent figure in the gaming industry, with over 20 years of experience in game development. He is best known for his work as Studio Head and Founder of Playground Games, the developer behind the Forza Horizon series, which is one of the most successful Xbox franchises of all time. Prior to founding Playground Games, Raeburn was a Senior Vice President at Codemasters, where he led development on popular racing game franchises such as Dirt, Grid, and F1.
Ben Thaker-Fell is listed as Lighthouse Games’ Principal Game Designer. He is a prominent video game developer and designer. Thaker-Fell has also worked on several high-profile video game franchises, including LittleBigPlanet, Wipeout, and MotorStorm. He is known for his expertise in game design and has won several awards for his work in the industry.
The studio will be based in the global game development hub of Leamington Spa. Raeburn said that they intend to build something truly special, using all their experience to create a new genre-defining franchise.