Expression Games, the developer working with Team17 on the Hell Let Loose franchise, has opened a physical studio in Manchester after operating entirely remotely since its 2022 launch. According to a GameDev.net write-up of a GamesIndustry.biz report dated October 8, 2026, CEO Errol Ismail describes the space as an optional collaboration hub. The company gives three reasons: employee demand for in-person connection, the infrastructure needs of co-development partners, and pressure in the talent market. The reporting presents these as the company’s own account. It does not measure the talent market or show that the office changes how people work or how long they stay.
What changed at Expression Games
Expression Games had no fixed office for its first period of operation. The studio now has a physical space in Manchester that staff can use for collaboration. The GameDev.net write-up, which relays the GamesIndustry.biz story, reports that the office is optional, that the company has no set working hours, and that the space is meant for creative work done together rather than for mandatory attendance.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Hell Let Loose (PS5) | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Hell Let Loose Deluxe Edition | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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HELL LET LOOSE - PS5 [CERO Rating "Z" | $123.23 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Hell Let Loose: Vietnam (Xbox Series X) | $45.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Those are reported company policies. Nothing in the available reporting measures their effect on productivity, retention or project delivery, and no such claim should be read into the announcement.
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Why Expression says it opened the office
The report gives three reasons, each attributed to the company and its leadership rather than independently verified.
#1 Best Overall
- Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
- 9 maps with more added frequently - land at Omaha Beach, fight through Carentan and into the frozen forests of Foy before climbing Hill 400.
- Never fight the same battle twice - 99 capture point variations per map, means thousands of potential battles.
- Play and master one or many of 14 unique roles, including: Officer, Medic, Machinegunner, Commander, Crewman, Sniper and more.
- Constantly updated with new maps, weapons, features and fixes.
- Employee demand for in-person connection. Staff have asked for a place to meet face to face. The reporting does not say how many staff asked or how the request was gathered.
- Co-development partner requirements. Some partner projects need infrastructure that is easier to run on site, such as hosting data locally. The report offers this as an example and does not list which partner projects are affected.
- A changing talent market. The headline framing is “in response to what’s happening in the talent market.” The report describes this qualitatively. It names no labor-market survey, headcount trend, salary benchmark or recruitment metric.
The report also mentions education links with Manchester Metropolitan University and with Bolton. It does not say whether these links involve hiring pipelines, placements or training partnerships.
The quotation
The report attributes this sentence to Errol Ismail, identified as CEO of Expression Games: “A physical space was always part of our long-term growth plans.” It supports one point: the company planned for a physical space as part of its longer-term strategy. It does not explain the talent-market phrase in the headline.
How to read the dates
The chronology needs care. The GameDev.net write-up is dated October 8, 2026. It says Expression launched in 2022 and that the Manchester studio opened in 2024. The article therefore reports on an office that already exists rather than announcing an opening in 2026. The reporting does not explain the gap between the 2024 opening date and the 2026 publication date. Readers should treat 2024 as the reported opening year and not assume it came from a new announcement.
Rank #2
- Enlist in the ever-expanding Hell Let Loose experience, bringing you World War II on an epic scale. With battles of 50v50 players and a dynamically shifting front line, this first-person shooter demands teamwork, communication, and strategy, not only to win but to survive!
- Be ready for combat on a series of iconic battlefields, where you and your teammates will fight against other skilled soldiers, playing one of our fourteen unique and important roles.
- With the Deluxe edition, you’ll hit the ground running with 3 of the most popular DLC packs we’ve released – Hot Drop, False Front and Lethal Tide.
- Join the chaos of war with different historical weapons, vehicles and equipment that are intricately detailed, bringing the realism to the brutal and bloody warfare. We’ll see you on the frontlines!
The original GamesIndustry.biz story was not available for this article. The account above rests on the GameDev.net write-up that links to it and attributes its reporting to GamesIndustry.biz.
Why the studio matters to Hell Let Loose players
Expression Games works on the Hell Let Loose franchise with Team17. For most players, the practical question is which game the studio is building, not where its staff sit.
Team17’s co-development agreement
Team17 announced its co-development agreement with Expression Games for Hell Let Loose on April 12, 2023. The same announcement says Team17 acquired the intellectual property from Black Matter at the start of 2022 and gives release history for the original PC and console game.
Rank #3
- Plan a 100 spectacular battle in a hardcore world set during World War II!
- Welcome to the expanding HELL LET LOOSE combat This is a hardcore first person shooting game based on World War II Infantry, tank, cannon, dynamically changing battles and RTS inspired, a unique resource based meta game of 100 players
- With HELL LET LOOSE, you can be in chaotic situation of war, such as the vehicles player-operated, dynamic transforming battles, and gameplay focused on forces that play key role in battle
- It also features over 9 vast maps created based on actual reconnaissance images and satellite data, and the entire battlefield is divided into a massive occupation sector This allows two 50-player forces to play tension-filled and unique gameplay such as battling death on a continual transforming battle, such as fields, bridges, forests, and city areas
- This piece is for online play only Online play is required to participate in PS Plus
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
Everplay Group plc announced Hell Let Loose: Vietnam on August 21, 2025, describing it as a partnership with Expression Games built on Unreal Engine 5. The announcement lists combined-arms play, helicopters, patrol boats and six Vietnam-set maps. It also said the original Hell Let Loose would continue to receive content and support through 2026 and beyond.
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Company-published figures for the original game
Everplay Group plc’s 2025 announcement gives two figures for the original Hell Let Loose:
Rank #4
- Fight in epic 50 vs 50 multiplayer battles.
- Play as the North Vietnamese Army or the US Armed Forces.
- Immersive jungle warfare recreates the real-world intensity of the battle.
- 6 distinct game modes: Offensive, Warfare and 4 alternative new game modes.
- 6 large-scale maps – all with lighting and weather variants and extreme terrain.
- More than $100 million in lifetime revenue.
- More than 144,000 concurrent users at peak during 2025.
Both figures are company-published claims. They have not been independently audited, and they describe the original game rather than the Manchester studio’s output.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Remote and hybrid work: what the report compares
The report does not compare outcomes between remote-first and hybrid studios. It does name the considerations a studio weighs when choosing between them. The table below sets out those considerations as Expression describes them and states where no measured evidence exists.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Consideration | How the report describes it for Expression | Measured evidence in the reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Access to in-person collaboration | A physical space for creative collaboration, described as a core reason for the office | Not stated |
| Employee choice and schedule flexibility | Attendance is optional and there are no set working hours | Not stated |
| Infrastructure or data needs of partner work | Some partner projects can need on-site infrastructure, such as hosting data | Not stated |
| Local recruitment and education links | Connections with Manchester Metropolitan University and Bolton are mentioned | Not stated |
What the reporting does not establish
- No quantified statistic about Manchester or UK games-sector talent conditions is cited.
- No evidence is given that an optional office improves hiring, retention or productivity.
- Whether the move signals a wider games-industry hiring trend cannot be judged from this company-specific account.
- Whether a physical edition of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is sold through retailers such as Amazon is not established by the official sources used here.
What the reporting does establish is narrower: Expression Games has a Manchester studio, the company describes it as optional and collaborative, and the company ties it to staff demand, partner needs and talent-market pressure.
Players following the franchise should watch for Team17 and Everplay announcements about Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and the original game, since those are the official sources for platforms, content and support.
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