Paramount's Gaming Expansion
Paramount Skydance Launches New AAA Games Studio, Unifying Development for Major IP
Paramount Skydance is launching Paramount Games Studio to unify Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media, shifting from licensing its intellectual property to third parties toward internal AAA game development. Tony Driscoll, who also oversees corporate strategy and the company’s integration planning for a Warner Bros. Discovery transaction, will lead the new studio as president, with Dan Prigg heading games and Shawn Kittelsen leading creative and production. The leadership team also includes Amy Hennig as creative director, while Julian Beak is departing, alongside marketing, business development, and engineering executives. The studio is building on Paramount’s major IP, with Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra and an untitled Star Wars game currently in development, and more titles expected to be revealed at Summer Game Fest. Paramount positions the move as a core pillar of its content strategy alongside film, television, and streaming, and investors appeared uneasy initially, sending shares down in the immediate trading aftermath.
Key Points
The studio leadership roster expands beyond the president/heads of games and creative: Paramount Games Studio also named Andrea Silvers as senior VP of marketing and communications, Kara Bilkiss as senior VP of business development and licensing, and Ray Davis as senior VP of engineering. (Not listed in the summary.)
Paramount’s untitled Star Wars game is described as a collaboration with Disney’s Lucasfilm, rather than simply an internal Paramount project. (Not included in the summary.)
The market reaction was quantified: investors sent Paramount Skydance shares down nearly 4% in the closing minutes of Friday’s trading, following the studio announcement. (The summary only said shares fell in the immediate aftermath.)
Variety’s characterization (via reporting) says Paramount Games Studio will function as a “unified gaming studio” combining Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media with Paramount’s IP—contrasting with the prior model where Paramount licensed its IP to other game studios “to handle production.”
Sources also indicate existing projects are expected to keep running through the restructuring, with Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra and the Star Wars title cited as continuing unaffected. (Not covered in the summary.)
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