Former Amazon Studios and Fox executive Sharon Tal Yguado has established a new game studio called Astrid Entertainment with backing from investors including NetEase Games.
The nascent studio wants to build interactive, multiplayer worlds that can “grow into large universes across different mediums,” and has secured a “high seven-figure” investment from NetEase Games, Stardom, and Tower 26 to do precisely that.
Astrid says its leadership team currently includes developers with experience in triple-A and indie production, although the company hasn’t revealed what specific roles have been filled.
Studio CEO and founder, Sharon Tal Yguado, previously served as head of genre programming at Amazon Studios, and before that worked as head of Fox International Studios at Fox Network Group.
Tal Yguado explained she intends to pull on her experience developing rich worlds at those companies to expand into the game industry.
“We are seeing a new generation that wants something different. They enjoy walking into evocative worlds that give them freedom, let them hang out with their friends, explore, discover and create their own stories,” said Tal Yguado.
“I am incredibly lucky to have found and partnered with like-minded visionary game developers who are already pushing boundaries in this medium.”
In terms of how Astrid will operate on a cultural level, the studio is open to hiring on a remote work basis and said it cares “deeply” about equality and inclusivity.