Saudi media conglomerate MBC expands into video game industry with new studio

MBC, the Saudi media conglomerate, has formally moved into game development with the launch of MBC Game Studio. The studio made its debut at Gamescom 2026, giving the company a public face for a new interactive division rather than a quiet internal experiment.

The most notable detail is the hiring strategy: MBC Game Studio has already brought in veterans from BioWare, Hi-Rez, Ubisoft Montreal, and Bungie. That mix suggests the studio is trying to assemble senior production, design, and engineering leadership quickly, which is often the fastest way for a new team to get from concept to a shippable pipeline.

For developers, this is another sign that major media and regional investment groups are still treating games as a strategic growth market. The exact project scope, team size, and target platforms haven't been disclosed, but the presence at Gamescom and the caliber of early hires point to ambitions beyond a small experimental title.

The practical question now is what kind of studio MBC wants to be: a publisher-backed content house, a first-party developer, or a broader regional investment vehicle. Either way, experienced developers will be watching for how quickly the studio defines its production culture, hiring footprint, and technical stack.