Former developers of Fall Guys have established a new studio named Panic Stations, focusing on creating multiplayer co-op games

Image credit: Panic Stations

The team behind the hit game Fall Guys has come together to create a new studio called Panic Stations, focusing on multiplayer games that are cooperative and humorous. The studio aims to debut several games annually.

Key figures including Steve Taylor, Dan Hoang, Joe Walsh, and Oliver Hindle, who all played leading roles in Fall Guys at Mediatonic, have joined forces with Paul Croft, Mediatonic's co-founder, to launch this venture.

The goal of Panic Stations is to develop physics-driven cooperative games that are entertaining and amusing. They plan to unveil their first game in the near future. The studio's identity is themed with pigeons and features an in-universe trailer and an interactive social network.

"Reuniting with the team to create fun and whimsical games is an opportunity I couldn't miss," noted Walsh, now the Design Director at Panic Stations.

A group photo of the founding team members of Panic Stations, standing in front of a graffiti-covered wall. — The Panic Stations team. Front row left to right: Lydia Ratcliffe, Dan Hoang, Sonia Carneiro Roberts. Back Row left to right: Drew Jones, Oliver Hindle, Joe Walsh, Paul Croft, Claire Boissiere, Josh Tarrant, Steve Taylor, Reece Banbury | Image credit: Panic Stations

Paul Croft expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "I'm thrilled to collaborate with my old friends. We want to design games that instantly bring happiness to players and foster connections."

Following the 2021 acquisition of Mediatonic by Epic Games, which capitalized on the success of Fall Guys during the pandemic, the studio faced layoffs in 2023 as Epic reduced its workforce.

Panic Stations is the inaugural studio of Skeleton Crew, an initiative revealed by Croft. This initiative aims to build a network of independent game companies characterized by shared values such as creativity and teamwork. The founding entities, previously linked through projects like TerraTech and Kaiju Cleanup, include Payload, Brightrock, and Mythwright.

The studio is actively recruiting for various positions in art, engineering, and level design.