We’ve always believed that Unreal Engine is the most powerful commercial game engine on the planet. But as any developer knows, the engine is only as good as the hands driving it. Today, we’re adding some of the most experienced hands in the business to our senior leadership team.

We’re incredibly pleased to announce that Andy Norman is joining CodeDev as our new Chief Operating Officer (COO). For many of us in the UK games industry, this announcement feels like a natural evolution of a story that began years ago. This move marks a high-profile reunion for Andy and our Chair, Rik Alexander – a partnership that has already left a significant mark on the co-development landscape.

We’re Getting (two of) the Band Back Together!

To understand why we’re so excited about Andy joining, you have to look at the history. Andy and Rik were part of the driving force behind the meteoric rise of The Multiplayer Group (MPG). Rik co-founded the studio and steered it through its initial growth and sale to Improbable in 2019. Andy then took the helm as CEO, navigating the team from a start-up to a global powerhouse of 400 people, eventually leading to a £76.5m acquisition by Keywords Studios in 2023.

While their previous successes were sequential – Rik building the foundation and Andy scaling the heights – at CodeDev, they are sitting at the same table from day one, and that’s pretty damn brilliant! By combining Rik’s founder instinct with Andy’s elite operational experience, we are positioning CodeDev to become the definitive global home for Unreal Engine expertise.

Defying Industry Trends

It’s no secret that the games industry is navigating a complex period of contraction and consolidation, however, CodeDev is currently on a very different trajectory. We are currently 40 strong, but demand for our specific brand of technical-wizardry is at an all-time high.

With Andy on board to manage our operations, we’ve revised our goals upward and now aim to reach 80 staff by the end of 2026.

This growth isn’t just about “getting bigger”, it’s a response to a massive gap in the market. As games become larger and more complex, the industry’s hardest problems – Multiplayer Networking and Engine Optimisation – have become the ultimate bottlenecks. Fortunately, these are the areas we live and breathe. Whether it’s fixing frame-time issues or building robust back-end server architectures, we provide the “proper knowledge” that AA and AAA studios are crying out for.

Culture People Actually Want

But why did Andy choose us? One of the main reasons CodeDev is right for his next chapter is a shared belief in how a studio should be run. In an era of “profit at all costs,” Andy brings a refreshing, people-centric philosophy to the COO role.

Andy notes, “CodeDev is such a good fit with what I want to do next: the goals match, the way of working, and the people involved. This will be the third time I’ve worked with Rik Alexander, and good things always happen. CEO Myke is so driven and committed. And then there is this great balance of familiar and new faces.

“Growth is an output of what you put in: the culture and working practices. If you start off with a goal of, say, hitting a particular margin or revenue, then that dictates a lot about the business and how the relationships with partners operate. We will instead put those partners first: understand and be invested in success, as they see it. I’m talking about staff as well as customers. We will aim to get those relationships right. And that will produce long term success.”

Strengthening our Senior Leadership Team

Andy’s arrival is the missing piece of a major leadership reinforcement, as he joins Rik and Myke, plus recent appointments Steve Bedford (Technical Director) and Liam McDonald (Design Director).

Myke Parrott, our CEO at CodeDev, puts it plainly: “Rik and Andy have a history of building industry titans, so it was a no-brainer to bring him onboard. Demand for CodeDev has reached a point where we need elite operational leadership to stay ahead of the curve and Andy will bring exactly that. We’ve grown considerably in the last six months, forging relationships with reputable studios who value our expertise, honesty and responsiveness. Andy is a master of nurturing culture at scale, so he’s the perfect fit to help us grow this team without losing our soul!”

Proving our Worth

Fondly known as “The Unreal Guys”, our reputation isn’t just talk; it’s backed up by the work we produce. Our team has a combined total of over 400 years of Unreal experience, with an average of 15 years per person. That seniority is our “secret sauce”; it’s why we were trusted to deploy a specialist optimisation team for Hangar 13’s Mafia: Old Country, and why we continue to work closely with many others under NDA.

Our global reach gives us another edge. Because we are remote-friendly, we can hire the very best people regardless of where they are, providing expertise across the right timezones for our partners. Many of our team members are folk we have worked with for over a decade across projects like Fortnite, Fallout 76, Sea of Thieves, and Starfield.

Looking Ahead

As we move toward our goal of an 80-strong team, our mission remains the same: to be the partner you can rely on to execute your Unreal project to the most powerful standard. We provide high-fidelity engineering, technical art, and design solutions that fundamentally improve the player experience (and make you look good!).

With Andy Norman joining the fold, CodeDev are levelling up.

Need a specialist team to help with your next Unreal project? Talk to us – we’re friendly!

Want to join a studio that’s actually growing? We’re looking for senior Unreal legends right now. Join CodeDev now