Grammy-winning songwriter BloodPop forms new games studio GenPop

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Michael 'BloodPop' Tucker, the songwriter and producer known for working with artists such as Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, has co-founded a new games development studio.

Known as GenPop Interactive, the studio was also set up by Aubrey Tennant, previously a producer at Bandai Namco and Hyper Hippo. Tucker will lead the studio as CEO, while Tennant takes on the role of COO.

The studio is fully remote with a team of 25 spread across five countries. Developers on the team have previously worked on titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, League of Legends and The Sims.

Ahead of the company's unveiling, Tucker and his team secured $6.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Makers Fund, and included contributions from 1up Ventures and Good Smile Company.

GenPop's aim is to build AAA games that "drive forward the next-gen of music, fashion and gaming culture." Its first project will be a third-person shooter that features "novel movement and combat mechanics."

"At a time when low risk tolerance among established studios has resulted in predictable re-releases capitalizing on millennial nostalgia, Gen-Z is eager for new IP that speaks to them, and has a long legacy that defines their generation," said Tucker.

"Major studios have become complacent, relying on giving the Weekend at Bernie's treatment to their old IP with their publicly traded necromancy. We aren't just on a mission to create the next great game, but nurture the next generation of popular culture."

Tennant added: "We believe that we are uniquely positioned to change the shooter genre with a layered social world that changes based on feedback from the community. We can't wait to share it with more people in the coming months."