Karl Jacobs teams up with ‘Roblox’ star to launch new game studio

Karl Jacobs is making a big move in the world of Roblox. The gamer, Twitch star, and MrBeast collaborator is teaming up with Misfits Gaming and KreekCraft to launch Pixel Playground, a studio devoted to Roblox game creation.

Pixel Playground will be led by Jacobs and KreekCraft (real name Forrest Waldron), who will serve as the studio’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, respectively. Misfits will supply the two creators with the resources and operational support they need to execute their Roblox game ideas.

Jacobs and Waldron also plan to collaborate with other prominent personalities in the Roblox space. Though many kids enjoy spending time in the virtual sandbox, Pixel Playground’s Roblox projects will be intended for players above the age of 13. By aging up its community, the new studio hopes to attract attention from advertisers.

Many of Jacobs’ early streams involved Roblox, though he’s better known for his adventures in Minecraft worlds. He is a familiar face on the legendary Dream SMP server, where he got valuable experience as a sandbox game creator.

Waldron, for his part, has no shortage of Roblox savvy. He is one of the biggest creators in the game’s community, with some of his videos receiving more than six million views on YouTube. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a child to make video games. I never thought I’d end up with the opportunity to help run an entire game studio,” Waldron said in a statement. “I’m excited to work with Karl, Ben, and the Pixel Playground team to create some fun and innovative games and content together!”

Pixel Playground is entering the Roblox universe at a tricky time. While the game continues to grow and reach new platforms, it is facing stiff competition from Epic Games’ Fortnite, which just debuted a robust creation platform of its own. The Fortnite Unreal Editor will feature one of the most favorable revenue-sharing agreements in the gaming biz, which could win over players who previously made games within Roblox.

But for now, Roblox is still the king of sandbox-style game creation, and that’s good news for Jacobs, Waldron, and the team at Misfits. Jacobs recently joined the esports organization as a Co-Owner, and thanks to his leadership, Misfits is venturing beyond its core business. The result, according to Misfits CEO and Founder Ben Spoont, will become something “truly collaborative and creator-led” once its first games start rolling out.