Bloober CEO says relying on one title creates 'too much risk' in today's market
Chronos: The New Dawn and Silent Hill 2 remake developer Bloober Team is bullish on its multi-project structure following multiple leadership changes.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.Biz, Bloober shared a series of new role appointments. Thaine Lyman (Activision, Wargaming) will be the new head of studio. Katya Baukova (CD Projekt, Techland) will be the director of business development. Lastly, Michał Gembicki (CD Projekt, Klabater SA) will take on the role of head of publishing.
Following the new executive team, CEO Piotr Babieno told GamesIndustry.Biz that Bloober will continue to operate with two "first-party" production teams, which will be working on the studio's major releases.
"We don't want fewer than two productions, because relying on a single title creates too much risk in today's market," Babieno told the publication. "But we also don't want more, because quality, focus, and creative oversight would inevitably suffer. For us, two core productions are the right balance between ambition and responsibility."
Bloober is currently developing several projects, including original IPs and franchise expansions. It is also continuing to expand its co-development label, Broken Mirror Games, which is working on five games in various stages of development—one of which is Layers of Fear 3.
Babieno added that the studio is not interested in "growth for the sake of numbers," and that it's the team's belief that players don't need a constant flood of releases.
As for the general studio structure, the CEO said the focus is on talent retention and a sustainable recruitment pipeline. As it stands, the studio employs nearly 270 from Poland, where it's based, and abroad.
"We're mindful about how we grow. We're not trying to scale as fast as possible. Our focus is sustainable development, financial discipline, and long-term stability," Babieno said. "That stability matters. Many team members have been with us for years. Long-term collaboration creates trust, shared creative instincts, and a stronger foundation than rapid expansion could."
He continued: "I never want to build a company that grows recklessly and then solves problems through layoffs. We want to come out stronger from industry challenges— together."
Bloober has had quite a few eventful years. In late 2022, it signed a deal with Private Division and rolled out a new development fund. In May 2024, the publishing deal was reportedly gutted, and Private Division was later sold by its parent company Take-Two to an undisclosed buyer.
Since then, the studio announced that one of its horror games, The Medium, is being adapted for TV. In February of last year, Bloober announced that it was continuing its partnership with Konami with a second game based on another Konami property, after working together on the Silent Hill 2 remake.
Two months later, Babieno told Game Developer that creating a safe environment at the studio is the most important thing in mind. "Every single decision I make is not just about if the business is good, but if we'll be able to take care of the 250 people in the studio, and their families as well," he said.
