Alexandre Besenval VP of New Sandsoft Studio in Barcelona

One of the leading mobile game developers, publishers, and investors in the gaming industry, Sandsoft, has opened a new mobile game development studio in Barcelona.

Team of experts

Alexandre Besenval, a new member of the team and newly appointed VP of Studio Barcelona, will lead the project. The main idea behind opening the new studio is to become a global gaming powerhouse, and opening a studio in Europe marks a significant milestone towards that goal.

The office in Barcelona was opened almost two years ago, in January 2022. Back then, the company’s team grew by joining two big industry names, David Fernandez, a CEO, and Pasqual Patalla, COO, who previously was employed at Socialpoint, the famous subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive.

Sandsoft is known for employing local experts and globally famous names in all markets they’re expanding to, and this isn’t the exception. Now, when the new Barcelona studio is opened, this Riyadh-based company will become one of the leaders in this key European market. As expected, in the next three years, the company will create about 60 new positions for local residents.

Besenval, the new head of the Barcelona studio, is a former Head of New Games and Studio Manager at Madbox. His experience in the mobile gaming industry is impressive, considering that he was also a VP of product at Socialpoint and Gameloft’s studio manager.

Expansion to the global market

When it comes to Sandsoft, Besenval will work with the company’s leadership, including Yahsir Qureshi, a VP from Riyadh studio and former EA and Zynga employee. They will be working closely to establish the right global expansion strategy, and the main focus in the upcoming period will be creating innovative and unique social games that will help the company upgrade the player experience and help people from all around the world socialize and enjoy Sandsoft’s impressive portfolio.

David Fernandez, CEO at Sandsoft, said: “Barcelona is a city that’s close to my heart and which already houses a thriving community of game makers. It’s also a perfect place for talented devs from across Europe to come and be part of what we’re building at Sandsoft. As a relatively new company, this is an opportunity to be part of making brand-new games and creating new IPs at a time in the industry where new titles are scarce. I can’t think of anyone better to lead this exciting phase of our growth than Alexandre.”

Alexandre Besenval, VP of Studio Barcelona at Sandsoft, added: “Sandsoft has the ambition to build a truly global and diverse gaming company, and I’m excited to play my part. I was instantly impressed by the team’s commitment to creating engaging experiences for players across the world, and the opportunity to shape these from an early stage alongside talented colleagues was a big draw. A studio is only as good as its people, and we want to surround ourselves with the best talent to build a mobile gaming dream team.”

Source: Sarkany, Adrienn. “Sandsoft opens Barcelona development studio to work on brand new mobile titles”. European Gaming. December 12, 2023.