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Expression Games opened a physical studio in Manchester in 2024 after operating remotely since its 2022 launch. The office is described as an optional collaboration space—not a return to mandatory office work—and the company cited employee interest in meeting in person, co-development partners’ infrastructure needs, and pressures in the talent market. The available account does not quantify those pressures or show that the office has changed hiring or retention.
What changed at Expression Games?
Expression Games added a physical Manchester studio after beginning as a remote operation in 2022. A GameDev.net briefing by Jon Hicks, published October 8, 2026, reports that the office opened in 2024. The two dates matter: the 2026 story reports on a studio that had already opened, rather than documenting a 2026 launch. The briefing does not explain the gap between the opening and publication dates.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Hell Let Loose (PS5) | $42.59 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Hell Let Loose Deluxe Edition | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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HELL LET LOOSE - PS5 [CERO Rating "Z" | $123.23 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Hell Let Loose: Vietnam (Xbox Series X) | $42.35 | Buy on Amazon |
The briefing relays reporting from GamesIndustry.biz; the original GamesIndustry.biz page was not accessible in the available source material. It attributes to CEO Errol Ismail the statement: “A physical space was always part of our long-term growth plans.”
Why did Expression open the Manchester space?
The company’s explanation, as reported in the briefing, combines three considerations. These are the reasons attributed to leadership, not independently measured results of the move.
#1 Best Overall
- Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
- 9 maps with more added frequently - land at Omaha Beach, fight through Carentan and into the frozen forests of Foy before climbing Hill 400.
- Never fight the same battle twice - 99 capture point variations per map, means thousands of potential battles.
- Play and master one or many of 14 unique roles, including: Officer, Medic, Machinegunner, Commander, Crewman, Sniper and more.
- Constantly updated with new maps, weapons, features and fixes.
- Employee interest in in-person connection: The office gives staff the option to meet and work together face to face.
- Co-development partner requirements: Some partner work may require infrastructure such as hosting data on site.
- Talent-market pressures: The report frames the move as a response to the talent market, but provides no survey, recruitment figures, salary data, or headcount trend to quantify that pressure.
The briefing also mentions education links with Manchester Metropolitan University and Bolton. It does not provide details that establish how those links affect recruitment or studio operations.
Does the Manchester studio mean staff must work in the office?
No mandatory attendance requirement is stated in the briefing. It describes attendance as optional, says there are no set working hours, and presents the studio as a collaboration hub intended to respond to employee and partner needs. Those are reported company policies; the source does not measure their effects on productivity, retention, or project delivery.
Rank #2
- Enlist in the ever-expanding Hell Let Loose experience, bringing you World War II on an epic scale. With battles of 50v50 players and a dynamically shifting front line, this first-person shooter demands teamwork, communication, and strategy, not only to win but to survive!
- Be ready for combat on a series of iconic battlefields, where you and your teammates will fight against other skilled soldiers, playing one of our fourteen unique and important roles.
- With the Deluxe edition, you’ll hit the ground running with 3 of the most popular DLC packs we’ve released – Hot Drop, False Front and Lethal Tide.
- Join the chaos of war with different historical weapons, vehicles and equipment that are intricately detailed, bringing the realism to the brutal and bloody warfare. We’ll see you on the frontlines!
What does Expression Games work on?
Expression Games co-develops the Hell Let Loose franchise with Team17. Team17 announced its co-development agreement with Expression on April 12, 2023, and said it had acquired the game’s IP from Black Matter at the start of 2022. Team17’s current press hub lists Hell Let Loose: Vietnam for Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, naming Team17 and Expression Games as developers.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIn an August 21, 2025 announcement, Everplay Group described Hell Let Loose: Vietnam as an Unreal Engine 5 project featuring combined-arms play, helicopters, patrol boats, and six maps set in Vietnam. The same company announcement said the original Hell Let Loose had generated more than $100 million in lifetime revenue and reached more than 144,000 concurrent users at peak in 2025. These are Everplay’s published figures, not independently audited findings in the cited material. Everplay also said the original game would receive further content and support through 2026 and beyond.
Rank #3
- Plan a 100 spectacular battle in a hardcore world set during World War II!
- Welcome to the expanding HELL LET LOOSE combat This is a hardcore first person shooting game based on World War II Infantry, tank, cannon, dynamically changing battles and RTS inspired, a unique resource based meta game of 100 players
- With HELL LET LOOSE, you can be in chaotic situation of war, such as the vehicles player-operated, dynamic transforming battles, and gameplay focused on forces that play key role in battle
- It also features over 9 vast maps created based on actual reconnaissance images and satellite data, and the entire battlefield is divided into a massive occupation sector This allows two 50-player forces to play tension-filled and unique gameplay such as battling death on a continual transforming battle, such as fields, bridges, forests, and city areas
- This piece is for online play only Online play is required to participate in PS Plus
Does this indicate a wider games-industry hiring trend?
Not on the evidence available here. The report cites talent-market pressure as part of Expression’s rationale, but gives no quantified Manchester or UK games-sector data. Nor does it establish that opening an optional office improves recruitment, retention, or studio performance. The story supports a company-specific account of how Expression is responding to its employees and co-development work, not a conclusion about the direction of the wider industry.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
- Play as the North Vietnamese Army or the US Armed Forces.
- Immersive jungle warfare recreates the real-world intensity of the battle.
- 6 distinct game modes: Offensive, Warfare and 4 alternative new game modes.
- 6 large-scale maps – all with lighting and weather variants and extreme terrain.
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