2020 was a memorable year in more ways than one. For Relax, it marked a decade of continued growth and success, for which we are tremendously grateful. Unwilling to rest on our laurels, however, we’re thrilled to be adding yet more talent to the team with our third in-house studio.
We sat with our new Head of Game Studio, Anders Lokrantz, who heads up this experienced game team including: Senior Game Developer Jens Malmborg, Game Developer Tobias Rheindorf , Senior Animator Samuel Peter, 3D Artist Marcus Jungerstam, Senior Artists Reine Rosenberg, Ola Sundberg, and Andreas Bennwik, Senior QA Game Tester Oliwia Olszowska, Game Mathematician Adam Olszowski, and Game Server Developer Sumit Nain, to find out more behind the creative group and how they see the future in their new base.
Welcome to the team! What are your first impressions about your new home and the opportunity it presents?
Thank you! We’ve received a very genuine and warm welcome so far and we’re so excited to be joining the company. We’re looking forward to getting to know our new colleagues and collaborating with these fantastic studios, we hope to contribute some new ideas and are excited to learn more about the things that Relax does so well.
How will the experience you’ve already gained elsewhere in the industry benefit you in driving differentiation at Relax?
Many of us are joining Relax as veterans of the industry and, as a team, we’re always eager to help each other reach new goals. Having backgrounds in different areas at game production companies has equipped us with the experience of different methods and styles of working, so this should help our combined teams cultivate differentiation in our products. We hope that by sharing some of the knowledge we’ve learnt along the way, we can help Relax continue to excel and reach new heights.
You’ve all worked together before joining Relax, what’s the formula for your creative process and success?
The best part about having worked together for over a decade is the comfortable work environment that was built up as a result. We all have tremendous respect for one another and can share feedback openly and candidly. We know what our colleagues are capable of and always try to push each other to grow and experiment. Working closely with the art and development teams has proven useful as well, with different areas of expertise inspiring the other.
What are your thoughts on the current trends among other studios out there? Does this inspire your creative processes?
In all honesty, we have often been inspired by the trends set by Relax, so it's a real pleasure to be here today. We believe that quality should be the main focus of our work, and trends seem to be heading that way, too. We like to expose ourselves to all types of games, visuals and industries to draw inspiration from varied outlets and bring something new to the table.
If you can select one thing that you see as your greatest strength as a group, what would it be?
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts - the fact that we’re joining as a team is a huge strength in itself, our talents truly go hand-in-hand! The vast amount of games we’ve released together presents another strength, as this has allowed us to fine-tune our internal dynamics to ensure we work as effectively and efficiently as possible. Trust is an added benefit of that as well, as having colleagues to turn to when you’ve hit a bump in the road helps take the pressure off and allows fresh ideas to flow, which ultimately results in the creation of unique content.
The new team reinforces Relax’s continued commitment to hire the best international talent and supports its existing Malmö and Belgrade studios. Its appointment comes at a fitting time as we launch into the New Year with an impressive 2021 content roadmap. We have no doubt that these talented individuals will be a valuable addition as we look to tackle new challenges and continue our pursuit of driving differentiation in 2021.
Välkommen ombord!