Sporty Group has opened a new games development hub in the UK led by former Tower Studios CEO and creative director Jon Hare.

Hare is leading a team of 17 employees who have been working on the Sociable Soccer franchise, which was acquired by Sporty Games last July.

The team is currently developing an unannounced free-to-play soccer title which will launch later this year.

“Working alongside Sporty Group to launch this new studio is a thrilling move that secures our future as a top-tier developer and publisher of sports games with truly global appeal,” said Hare. “We have put this together with a capable and driven team and continue to look for new additions.”

He continued: “Working with such a highly talented group of like-minded developers who, like myself, are committed to raising the bar for sports games, is a dream come true and we look forward to sharing further details of our first titles very soon.”

Sporty Group vice president of business development, marketing, and media Greg Parsons added: “Jon and this team have a proven track record of creating critically acclaimed titles with universal appeal.

“Adding this talent to the existing Sporty talent pool will accelerate the growth of our games offerings and enhance our vision of a globally relevant and diversified entertainment destination.”

Sporty Group is a sports media, gaming, and social platform that runs betting and gaming brand SportyBet, sports app Sporty.com, and owns and operates SportyTV.