Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), developer of Squadron 42 and Star Citizen, brought an exclusive Squadron 42 showcase to VERSA Studios Manchester, building on its established presence in the city. The event was one of Manchester’s major media events of the year, bringing gamers and streamers from around the world to experience the highly anticipated game ahead of its release next year. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill also attended.
VERSA supported CIG in delivering the event and co-produced the behind-the-scenes filming, including interviews with the game’s creators. More details about the filming will be shared soon. More than 40 people worked on the project, with VERSA coordinating the crew, lighting, production design, sound, studio space and other production requirements.
VERSA also brought in specialist virtual production partner Mars Volume, which built the largest virtual production screen ever constructed in Manchester and created immersive content inspired by the game. A life-sized Hornet spacecraft provided by CIG was also part of the environment.
Sandi Roberts, Co-Founder of Cloud Imperium Games, said:
“We had a wonderful experience working with VERSA and its teams to bring our event to life.”
The project showcases VERSA Studios Manchester’s capabilities across virtual production, motion capture and wider production services.
Charlie Ingall, Executive Director of VERSA Studios, said:
“This project shows how VERSA works as a production partner, bringing together people, technology, facilities and specialist partners across gaming, physical production and virtual production. Working with CIG, our team helped deliver an ambitious event and co-produce the behind-the-scenes filming on a feature-film scale. It’s a strong example of the scale of what can be delivered at VERSA.”
CIG has an established presence at St John’s, the landmark Manchester district developed by Allied London, where it is based in the UK. It also has a permanent motion-capture studio at VERSA Studios Manchester, one of the largest of its kind in the UK. Allied London is the parent company of VERSA Media Group, which operates VERSA Studios in Manchester, Leeds and London.
ABOUT VERSA STUDIOS
VERSA Studios is a UK-wide film, television and broadcast studio network and production services partner to the film, television and games industries, with more than 600,000 sq ft of production space across London, Manchester and Leeds. Its facilities include premium sound stages, television studios, motion-capture and virtual production capabilities, fibre-linked broadcast galleries and end-to-end production services.
VERSA Studios is part of VERSA Media Group, an international media group developing intellectual property and services for the global media industry.
Credits include Sky’s Tinsel Town, Amazon Prime Video’s Maintenance Required, and the upcoming thriller Sirius, produced by VERSA’s production partner, Future Artists Entertainment. Other credits include Peaky Blinders and Marvel’s Secret Wars. Entertainment credits include ITV’s Bullseye and Cooking with the Stars, Netflix’s Building the Band and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. VERSA is also home to Big Brother, Dragons’ Den, BBC Morning Live and Blue Peter.
ABOUT CLOUD IMPERIUM GAMES
Cloud Imperium Games is one of the world's largest independent game developers, with more than 1,000 employees across studios in Manchester, Austin, Frankfurt, and Montreal. Established in 2012 by industry veteran Chris Roberts, creator of Wing Commander, the company launched with a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign that built a community of millions who fund, test, and help shape its games.CIG is developing two games - Star Citizen, a persistent multiplayer universe built around uncompromising fidelity and immersion, with fully explorable star systems and Squadron 42, a AAA cinematic single-player space epic set in the same universe, featuring performances from an A-List cast including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill and Gillian Anderson.