Today, LinkedIn greeted me with the notification, “Congratulate David for starting a new position as Producer at Sharkmob.” Upon closer inspection, this was David Sirland, former Battlefield producer from EA DICE. Immediately, two obvious questions spring to mind: What is Sharkmob? How cool is it that I’m friends with David Sirland on LinkedIn?
Sharkmob formed in Malmö, Sweden in 2017 with veteran developers from Hitman creators IO Interactive and the Massive team from Ubisoft to begin work on an undisclosed project. Sharkmob has been incredibly close lipped on the project, all CEO Fredrik Rundqvist has shared publicly is that intellectual property had been licensed on a “cult classic” with plans to develop a franchise. This is especially intriguing, given last year’s purchase of Sharkmob by Tencent, the owners of Riot Games and 40% stakeholders in Epic Games.
Just what are they working on? And with a team already composed of veterans from Hitman, Assassins Creed, Far Cry, and The Division 2, why does the hire of David Sirland spark interest? Definitely because of the powerhouse of first person games under one tent, combined with bringing in a talented producer from EA DICE who has spent significant time with Battlefield 4, Battlefield 1, and Battlefield V, suggests which way this secret project might be unfolding. At the very least they have the raw talent for an incredibly broad range of first person games. With the backing of mega corporation Tencent, it isn’t impossible to imagine the resources for the next game to spring from this team.
David Sirland is noteworthy as he was a beloved member of DICE to Battlefield series fans, known for his honesty and willingness to understand the games as a player instead of as a developer. He is belovedly called tiggr on various social media platforms, and to date, is willing to engage with the Battlefield community in a way that many community managers never achieve. He still defends the series in its current and potential forms, while also fairly calling out shortcomings on the development side, and is quick to point out to players more details as able.
Thus, his name joining the mysterious project of a gaming super team is certainly intriguing. If curious, interested playtesters are able to sign up for information directly on the Sharkmob website.
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