Ex-Sumo Group CEO Carl Cavers joins co-dev studio Vertpaint as non-exec director and shareholder

Co-development studio Vertpaint has appointed former Sumo Group co-founder and CEO Carl Cavers OBE as non-executive director and shareholder.

Talking solely to GamesIndustry.biz, Cavers stated he was drawn to “the expertise within the staff, their ardour for doing issues the suitable method, and eager to be the very best at what they do.”

“The work-for-hire panorama has modified lots over latest years and the strategy to co-dev has developed, requiring extra flexibility and particular abilities which Vertpaint are effectively positioned to accommodate and provide one thing that’s genuinely a value-add.”

Vertpaint was based in 2019 by CEO James Macleod, who’d beforehand labored at Rockstar and Digital Extremes, and introduced it acquired “multi-million-dollar funding” in 2025. The studio has labored on releases for Digital Extremes, Crytek, NetEase and Moonton, and is at the moment working by itself horror title Ritual Tides, which was formally revealed in March.

Cavers acknowledges that the worldwide improvement panorama stays difficult each within the UK and globally, and describes among the present issues are “analogous with the previous.”

“The massive scale reductions are sadly a mirrored image of what we have seen earlier than as publishers and giant scale builders look to handle prices,” he says.”General the trade remains to be offering alternatives, however otherwise – it is extra concentrated and the elevated threat profile of doing one thing new makes it very difficult.”

“I do consider that we are going to see a return to brighter, extra buoyant instances, however equally to the final huge struggles of 2008-2012 I feel we nonetheless have a yr or so earlier than issues enhance. For Vertpaint, this isn’t nearly surviving the current scenario, however guaranteeing that as a co-dev accomplice we’re in the very best place to ship the wants of our shoppers as they evolve.”

“I do consider that we are going to see a return to brighter, extra buoyant instances, however equally to the final huge struggles of 2008-2012 I feel we nonetheless have a yr or so earlier than issues enhance”

Cavers introduction to the enterprise was unconventional, says Macleod: he met the CEO’s brother Callum, who just lately joined as Industrial Director, once they had been each driving in a pro-am lineup within the British GT Championship. James Macleod described Cavers as any person he is “admired for years”, having beforehand “regarded to Sumo Digital as the benchmark for what a fantastic UK video games firm may develop into.”

“Carl constructed a world-class studio, fostered a developer-first tradition, earned the belief of the trade’s largest publishers, and in the end led Sumo by way of its landmark acquisition by Tencent. As a founder, that journey has all the time been massively inspiring, and the chance to attract on Carl’s first-hand expertise and strategic perception as we proceed to develop Vertpaint is invaluable.”

“Carl selected to hitch Vertpaint due to what he noticed: our individuals, our tradition, our values and our ambition. To have somebody along with his expertise and fame consider in what we’re constructing is extremely humbling. For us, it is an actual vote of confidence that we’re on the suitable path and constructing one thing genuinely particular.”

He continued: “The chance to attract on Carl’s first-hand expertise and strategic perception as we proceed to develop Verpaint is invaluable.”

As for what’s forward, Macleod stated that Vertpaint is in a “incredible place” as it helps publishers and unbiased studios “throughout a number of genres, platforms, and levels of improvement.”

“Whereas we won’t talk about particular tasks, demand for knowledgeable co-development companions continues to develop. Studios now depend on companions that combine seamlessly into manufacturing and constantly ship on the highest commonplace, and that is the place Vertpaint has constructed its fame.”

“Trying forward, our focus is not on a selected style or platform. It is on working with studios that worth long-term collaboration and need a accomplice they’ll depend on. Carl becoming a member of the enterprise is a key a part of that subsequent part. His expertise will assist us scale whereas staying true to the tradition, innovation and high quality that have gotten us right here.”

He additionally highlighted how Cavers’ expertise will present Vertpaint with “invaluable perception as we enter our subsequent stage of progress.”

“Outdoors of the co-development that Carl might be centered on, we have been investing in our personal unique and extremely bold IP, Ritual Tides. As we push the boundaries of what is doable on the mission, we’re actively creating new know-how, instruments and manufacturing improvements that instantly profit our co-development work, permitting us to ship more and more refined options to our companions.”