Sega will shift QA team from UK to Bulgaria New Sofia division is to meet the 'ever-growing needs of the expanding Sega Europe operation'

Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B Thursday 11th October 2018 Share this article Share

Sega Europe will restructure its QA division and relocate it from London to Sofia, Bulgaria.

The move will take place over a two-year period with Sega Development Services Sofia to open fully in June 2020.

That means it is "business as usual" for Sega's current QA team in Brentford, London. There will be no immediate redundancies, and staff will be given the opportunity to "relocate or contribute to the completion of this project in an important and meaningful capacity."

Sega says the business is in 'active consultation' with the team. All QA roles within Sega Europe, with the exception of the localisation QA team, will be affected.

The new division is motivated by Sega Europe's increased output and expansion, the company states. The firm's UK team looks over multiple Western studios, including Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive, Relic, Amplitude and Hardlight, and also supports Sega Networks, Team Sonic, Sega/Atlus and other external partners.

Sega tells Gamesindustry.biz that Brexit, which is scheduled to take place next year, was not a factor in the move. "Bulgaria is a European leader for IT development, home to regional offices for some of the most renowned tech outfits in the world including IBM and Hewlett Packard and has a history of technological accomplishment and innovation," explained Gary Dale, president and COO of Sega Europe.

"It's the perfect location to open what will become a best-in-class quality assurance operation with the capacity to expand. We're looking forward to the collaboration with the current UK team in London as we build this exciting operation in Sofia. Their expertise and passion for Sega and its diverse IPs will be invaluable throughout this process."