Rebellion’s Kingsley: “We Excel at Managing Scope and Costs Professionally”

Jason Kingsley OBE, the CEO of UK-based game developer Rebellion, attributes the company’s success in avoiding layoffs to their meticulous control over costs.

In a conversation with PC Gamer, Kingsley explained that one key factor behind not needing to downsize is how they manage to keep their projects in check. He emphasizes that saying it’s only their expertise would be an overstatement.

“There’s definitely an element of luck,” Kingsley admitted. “We manage our budgets very carefully. While we work with substantial funds, we’re talking millions rather than hundreds of millions. Our aim is to create high-quality games that have a strong potential for profit. That’s really the crux of it.”

Kingsley further elaborated on Rebellion’s approach to game development, highlighting their preference for crafting smaller, high-quality games over grand, unfocused epics. “I’d rather have a compact, exceptional game than a massive one that misses the mark,” he stated. “We’re quite disciplined in managing the scope and costs. Sometimes we step back and say, this game’s becoming too large.”

He also pointed out that Rebellion maintains a strategic balance in their game portfolio: two-thirds are sequels or based on existing brands, while the remaining third ventures into new or experimental territory.

“We have a duty to our team and staff,” Kingsley remarked. “The industry is experiencing significant job losses, and we don’t want to be part of that narrative. We strive to maintain stability and avoid the cycle of constant hiring and firing.”