FreeStyleGames Ltd.

A British video game developer founded in 2002, best known for music and rhythm games such as the DJ Hero series.

Action

Simulation



Website

Founded

2002

Acquired

2017

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom

Parent

Ubisoft

Known for

Rhythm / Music / Arcade

Games

2000–2015

Years

Platforms

$15.58

Ø CIB

-13.4%

24M change

About

FreeStyleGames was established in Leamington Spa, England, by former employees of Codemasters and Rare. The studio gained prominence for developing music-themed titles like B-Boy and the DJ Hero franchise under Activision. In 2017, the company was acquired by Ubisoft and rebranded as Ubisoft Leamington.

Initial development efforts focused on partnering with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to deliver rhythm and motion-oriented gameplay. The studio's debut project, B-Boy, was released for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable in 2006, with subsequent North American releases in 2008. This title featured authentic breakdancing culture, licensed hip-hop tracks, and real-world dancers.

Following this, the team diversified into the casual gaming market by developing Buzz! Junior: RoboJam in 2007, a sci-fi themed party game that utilized the proprietary Buzz! Buzzer controllers. This title was later re-released in a hardware bundle in 2008.

The studio's technological capabilities expanded significantly with the creation of DJ Hero in 2009. This project required the design of a specialized peripheral resembling a turntable, which allowed players to simulate DJing techniques such as crossfading, scratching, and sampling. The game was distributed both as a standalone software package and in bundles containing the custom controller, cementing the developer's reputation for integrating physical hardware with interactive music simulation.