Lionhead Studios
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersGuildford, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
Lionhead Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lionhead Studios
- Website
- https://lionhead.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lionhead Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Development
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Narrative/Adventure & RPG Game Studios (MPAFAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)
Keywords
Where Lionhead Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guildford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Lionhead Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Lionhead Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lionhead Studios is a software-based video game developer that created action RPGs and simulation games, with major releases including the Black & White series (I and II) and the Fable franchise. The studio built narrative-driven, choice-driven interactive entertainment titles leveraging proprietary moral choice systems, AI-driven NPC behavior, and open-world game design for Microsoft's Xbox platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fable franchise Narrative-driven action RPG series distinguished by moral choice mechanics and British comedic sensibility, developed as Xbox platform exclusive titles for video game consumers.
- Black & White (I and II) Software-based video game release (I and II) by the studio, leveraging AI-driven NPC behavior, world simulation, and player agency mechanics.
Companies that use Lionhead Studios
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lionhead Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lionhead Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Lionhead Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rockstar Games: A much larger incumbent in premium open-world gaming, useful as a benchmark for AAA scale, budget, and monetisation potential that the subject's IP portfolio aspires toward.
Direct peers
- Playground Games: UK-based Microsoft first-party studio currently developing the Fable reboot, directly relevant as the inheritor of Lionhead's flagship franchise and a comparable UK AAA studio.
- FromSoftware: Japanese developer of Elden Ring and Dark Souls, a premium console RPG/Adventure peer competing for the same premium-RPG audience and awards cycle.
- BioWare: Long-standing narrative-RPG developer (Mass Effect, Dragon Age) with deep player-choice design heritage, directly comparable in genre and product category.
- Rare: UK-based Microsoft first-party studio of comparable size and heritage to Lionhead, making premium console titles within the Xbox ecosystem.
- Larian Studios: Developer of Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity series, a direct narrative-RPG peer whose recent commercial success sets a competitive bar for premium choice-driven RPGs.
- Obsidian Entertainment: Narrative-RPG specialist under Microsoft (Xbox) focusing on player-choice rich RPGs, the closest direct competitor in design philosophy to Lionhead's Fable work.
- Naughty Dog: Developer of Uncharted and The Last of Us, a premium narrative-action developer under Sony with comparable single-franchise, high-production-value positioning.
- Bethesda Game Studios: Developer of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout RPGs, a major premium open-world RPG studio with comparable large-budget, single-franchise strategy.
- CD Projekt Red: Polish developer of The Witcher and Cyberpunk RPGs; comparable premium open-world narrative-RPG developer with similar large-budget, single-franchise focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Lionhead Studios social profiles
Digital presenceLionhead Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lionhead Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lionhead Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lionhead Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lionhead Studios
What does Lionhead Studios do?
Lionhead Studios is a software-based video game developer that created action RPGs and simulation games, with major releases including the Black & White series (I and II) and the Fable franchise. The studio built narrative-driven, choice-driven interactive entertainment titles leveraging proprietary moral choice systems, AI-driven NPC behavior, and open-world game design for Microsoft's Xbox platform.
When was Lionhead Studios founded?
Lionhead Studios was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lionhead Studios based?
Lionhead Studios is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Lionhead Studios's main competitors?
Rockstar Games is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Playground Games, FromSoftware, BioWare, Rare, Larian Studios, Obsidian Entertainment, Naughty Dog, Bethesda Game Studios and CD Projekt Red.
Does Lionhead Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lionhead Studios.
What industry is Lionhead Studios in?
Lionhead Studios's product category is Video Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAL, Narrative/Adventure & RPG Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAA, AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console). Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 7990.