Lighthouse Games is formed by Gavin Raeburn, along with more than 30 talents with whom it already has a new triple-A IP in development
It has been more than a decade since Gavin Raeburn co-founded Playground Games with Trevor Williams and Ralph Fulton. The British studio released the five games in the Forza Horizon series, the first installment of which was directed by Raeburn. However, in January 2022 he left the studio and now announces that he has founded a new one with the aim of designing large productions.
Lighthouse Games, which is what this new studio is called, already has a team working on a triple A game not yet announced and that it will present a new IP. The studio’s ambition is not trivial, as it has “30 former colleagues and other industry heavyweights” of great talent and experience.
Gavin Raeburn (center)
Lighthouse Games, second studio from former Playground members
In announcing the opening of this new studio, Gavin Raeburn was proud and excited, both for his career so far and for what is to come:
With Forza Horizon, Playground Games and I created one of the most successful Xbox franchises of all time. We achieved significant commercial success year after year, with great critical support, and following the success of my time at Codemasters leading Dirt, Grid and F1. That DNA is now in Lighthouse and with it we intend to build something truly special using all our experience to create a new genre-defining franchise.
Interestingly, Lighthouse Games is the second triple-A studio created by former Playground members so far this year. In January there was a talent drain with some of the “culprits” of Forza Horizon’s success. They left Playground Games to form a new development studio called Maverick Gamesdirected by former Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown.
We will continue to pay attention to Lighthouse Games and the new IP that they say they have in their hands. What seems certain is that it is a new driving franchise with which they wish to redefine the genre.
