Rebellion Developments

Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford. Founded by Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for Sniper Elite and multiple games in the Alien vs. Predator series. Sister company Rebellion Publishing has published comic books since 2000, when it purchased 2000 AD, the publisher of characters such as Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. In the 2010s the studio saw growth and success with their Sniper Elite series of games. The series has spanned 5 mainline installments and multiple spin-offs, including the Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army entries. Their latest title, Atomfall, was released on March 27, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Origins (1992–1999)

Rebellion was founded on 4 December 1992 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley in Oxford, England.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="GamesTM: 25 years">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The pair had just finished academic degrees at the University of Oxford, and had ambitions of starting doctorates.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> In their spare time, they did freelance work in the games industry.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> When their freelance jobs roles began to expand and they were taking on more management responsibilities, they decided to establish Rebellion in Oxford.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> The foundation of the studio was laid when the brothers secured a deal with video game publisher Atari UK.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> They presented a 3D dragon flight game demo to directors at the publisher, who were seeking games for the upcoming Atari Jaguar system.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> They were commissioned by Atari to work on two titles for the Jaguar, Checkered Flag and Alien vs Predator, which both released in 1994.<ref name="GamesTM: 25 years" /> The development team was expanded to assist with work on these games. It included artists Stuart Wilson, Toby Banfield, and Justin Rae, along with programmers Mike Beaton, Rob Dibley, and Andrew Whittaker.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Following Alien vs Predator, Rebellion saw no releases for some years, with their next project, the intentionally light-hearted PC game Mr. Tank,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> going unpublished.

Expansion and comics (2000–2009)

Over the course of the decade, Rebellion underwent rapid expansion with numerous acquisitions of other studios and properties. This wave of expansions included the purchase of 2000 AD from Fleetway Publications, which began Rebellion's first foray into comic books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to further publications under the label, Rebellion began to develop associated characters for the games market. In 2003 Rebellion released the game Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death.

In 2004, Rebellion entered a deal with DC Comics to reprint several 2000 AD stories in trade paperback form, including Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Nikolai Dante, and Sinister Dexter. When DC left the venture, citing poor sales, Rebellion created its own line of American graphic novels that were distributed through Simon & Schuster. In 2005 Rebellion also created the series Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files, which has begun reprinting almost every appearance of Judge Dredd in chronological order.

Rebellion's 2005 game Sniper Elite was awarded "Best PC/Console Game" in the TIGA Awards of 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the release, Rebellion acquired numerous games studios and properties. This began in 2006 with the purchase of Tomb Raider developers Core Design from Eidos Interactive, as well as Strangelite from Empire Interactive, and Elixir Studios' former IPs including Evil Genius and Republic: The Revolution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The acquisitions made Rebellion the largest independent game developer in Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Acquisitions later in the decade were predominantly associated with the growing publishing wing of the company, including Blackfish Publishing and Mongoose Publishing in 2008,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> followed by Cubicle 7 and Solaris Books in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 14 July 2009, the company purchased the Ground Control, Empire Earth, Lords of Magic and Lords of the Realm franchises from Activision. These were ex-Sierra Entertainment properties that the company offloaded due to their new long-term strategy following the Vivendi Games merger.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Closure of Derby studio (2009–2010)

In 2009, Rebellion's Rogue Warrior game received poor reviews. This was followed by Aliens vs. Predator in 2010, published by Sega, which received a mixed critical reception, but debuted at number one on the UK all formats chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Significant changes were made in 2010, including staff cuts at their main studio in Oxford as well as the closure of Rebellion Derby – the former Core Design studio which had only been purchased four years previously. Studio CEO Jason Kingsley discussed pivoting their focus to smaller titles in the wake of the changes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The move coincided with the end of a property lease. Kingsley commented that "growth is sometimes painful, never more so than in the current climate and we have had to take a long hard look at how we operate our studio network. Strategically we have decided to review the need for the Derby facilities."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Controversy

Following the closure of the Derby studio, the company was accused by laid off employees and their spouses of withholding wages and severance pay. The studio was further accused of not paying legal fees for staff members who sought "legal help during the redundancy consultation period".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Return to growth (2011–present)

The mid-2010s saw major successes with the Sniper Elite franchise. The company returned to expansion through the purchase of additional studios and properties, expanding both their computer game and publishing sectors, and further diversified into live action film late in the decade. Kingsley was awarded an OBE in 2012 for his work supporting the sector.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2013, Rebellion bought the Battlezone and the Moonbase Commander franchises during the Atari bankruptcy proceedings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cubicle 7 left Rebellion in December 2014 via management buyout.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sniper Elite III was released that year, and by September 2015 the series had passed 10 million copies sold worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2016, Rebellion acquired the post-1970 IPC Youth and Fleetway comics libraries from Egmont.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It reprinted these under its Treasury of British Comics imprint, including Roy of the Rovers, Wildcat and One-Eyed Jack. This would be followed by an acquisition of the pre-1970 titles from the group in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2018, Rebellion set up a studio for a film and TV series based on 2000 AD characters, the first projects being Judge Dredd: Mega-City One and Rogue Trooper, both directed by Duncan Jones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rebellion Productions, the film production arm founded in 2017, would occupy a disused newspaper factory in Didcot, England.<ref name="Eurogamer: Productions">Template:Cite web</ref> The studio would launch its first feature film in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Several games related acquisitions would be made through 2018 and 2019, including the Radiant Worlds, rebranded "Rebellion Warwick"<ref name="GIbiz: Warwick">Template:Cite web</ref> and TickTock games, rebranded "Rebellion North".<ref name="Telegraph: North">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Rebellion acquired The Bitmap Brothers' library of classic games in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2021 Rebellion announced a new bi-monthly humour comic, Monster Fun, would begin in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Subsidiaries

Active

• Audiomotion Studios (acquired in 2003)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Rebellion Film Studios<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Rebellion Liverpool (acquired in 2006)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Gamasutra: Spoiled">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Rebellion North (acquired in 2019)<ref name="Telegraph: North" />
• Rebellion Publishing<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • 2000 AD<ref name="GIbiz: Publishing">Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Abaddon Books<ref name="GIbiz: Publishing" />
  • Ravenstone Press<ref name="GIbiz: Publishing" />
  • Solaris Books<ref name="GIbiz: Publishing" />
• Rebellion Unplugged<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Rebellion Warwick (acquired in 2018)<ref name="GIbiz: Warwick" />

Defunct

• Razorworks (acquired in 2008)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Rebellion Banbury (acquired in 2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Gamasutra: Spoiled" />
• Rebellion Derby (acquired in 2006)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Gamasutra: Spoiled" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Games

Games developed

Year	Title	Platform(s)
1991	Jet Pak Jak (cancelled)	Game Boy
1993	Eye of the Storm	Amiga, MS-DOS
1994	Alien vs Predator	Atari Jaguar
	Checkered Flag	Atari Jaguar
1995	Legions of the Undead (cancelled)	Atari Jaguar
1999	Klustar	Game Boy Color
	Aliens Versus Predator	Windows, Classic Mac OS
	Mission: Impossible	Game Boy Color
	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	PlayStation
2000	The Mummy	Windows, PlayStation
	Asterix: Search for Dogmatix	Game Boy Color
	Gunlok	Windows
	Skyhammer	Atari Jaguar
2001	Snood	Game Boy Advance
	Midnight Club: Street Racing	Game Boy Advance
	Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James	PlayStation
2002	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lone Wolf	PlayStation
	Delta Force: Urban Warfare	PlayStation
	Largo Winch.//Commando Sar	PlayStation
	Medal of Honor: Underground	Game Boy Advance
	Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf	Game Boy Advance
2003	Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death	GameCube, PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox
	Gunfighter II: Revenge of Jesse James	PlayStation 2
2004	World War Zero: Iron Storm	Windows, PlayStation 2
2005	Sniper Elite	PlayStation 2, Wii, Windows, Xbox
	Delta Force: Black Hawk Down	Windows, PlayStation 2
2006	007: From Russia with Love	PlayStation Portable
	Dead to Rights: Reckoning	PlayStation Portable
	Gun: Showdown	PlayStation Portable
	Rogue Trooper	Windows, PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox
	Miami Vice: The Game	PlayStation Portable
	Delta Force: Black Hawk Down – Team Sabre	Windows, PlayStation 2
	Prism: Guard Shield	Windows
2007	Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron	PlayStation Portable
	Free Running	Windows, PlayStation 2, Wii
	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	PlayStation Portable
	Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem	PlayStation Portable
	The Simpsons Game	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
2008	Call of Duty: World at War – Final Fronts	PlayStation 2
2009	Shellshock 2: Blood Trails	Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
	PDC World Championship Darts 2009	Wii
	Rogue Warrior	Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
	Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron	PlayStation Portable
2010	Aliens vs Predator	Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
	PDC World Championship Darts: ProTour	PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
	Evil Genius: WMD	Facebook Platform
2011	Judge Dredd vs. Zombies	Android, iOS, Windows Phone
2012	NeverDead	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
	Sniper Elite V2	Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch
	Zombie HQ	Android, iOS, Windows
	Sinbad	iOS
	Guns 4 Hire	Android, iOS, Windows Phone
2013	Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army	Windows
	Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2	Windows
2014	Sniper Elite III	Windows, Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2015	Zombie Army Trilogy	Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch
	Evil Genius Online	Android, Facebook Platform, iOS
2016	Battlezone	PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Switch
2017	Sniper Elite 4	Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia, iOS, ipadOS, macOS
2018	Strange Brigade	Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch,<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Stadia
	Arca's Path VR	Windows, PlayStation 4
2020	Zombie Army 4: Dead War	Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, Switch
2021	Evil Genius 2: World Domination	Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
	Sniper Elite VR	Windows, PlayStation 4, Meta Quest
2022	Sniper Elite 5	Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
2023	Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior	Meta Quest
2025	Sniper Elite: Resistance	Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
	Atomfall	Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
	Zombie Army VR	Windows, PlayStation 5, Meta Quest

Games published

• Evil Genius (2009, PC). Originally developed by Elixir Studios and published in 2004.
• Republic: The Revolution (2009, PC). Originally developed by Elixir Studios and published in 2003.
• Empire Earth (2009, PC). Originally developed by Stainless Steel Studios and published in 2001. The expansion pack was released in 2002.
• Ground Control (2009, PC). Originally developed by Massive Entertainment and published in 2000.
• Ground Control II: Operation Exodus (2009, PC). Originally developed by Massive Entertainment and published in 2004.
• Lords of the Realm (2009, PC). Originally developed by Impressions Games and published in 1994. This includes Lords of the Realm II published in 1996.
• Lords of the Realm III (2009, PC). Originally developed by Impressions Games and published in 2004.
• Lords of Magic (2009, PC). Originally developed by Impressions Games and published in 1998.
• Woolfe: The Red Hood Diaries (2015, PC). Originally developed by GriN Gamestudio and published in 2015.
• Battlezone 98 Redux (2016, PC). Developed by Big Boat Interactive.
• Battlezone: Combat Commander (2018, PC). Developed by Big Boat Interactive.

Films

<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Release date	Title	Director(s)
September 5, 2020	From Bedrooms to Billions: The Playstation Revolution	Anthony Caulfield and Nicola Caulfield
February 15, 2021	School’s Out Forever	Oliver Milburn
TBA	Rogue Trooper	Duncan Jones
	Judge Dredd: Mega City One	TBA

External links

• Template:Official website
• Rebellion Developments' profile at MobyGames