Discover the Ex-Footballer Behind Brazil's Largest Gaming Studio

Matheus Vivian's journey into the gaming world was anything but conventional. A professional footballer for 18 years, Vivian's career took him from Brazil to Germany and France. However, when his football days came to an end, he found himself at a crossroads. He began consulting for football clubs and leagues, and even hosted his own radio show in France, but his true passion lay in creating a game studio. Alongside business partner Guilherme Gonçalves, Vivian set out to merge his love of sports and gaming. Their goal was ambitious: to create a studio that would connect sports and gaming, capitalizing on the massive popularity of both. With Vivian's background in football, they started by licensing top clubs like Paris Saint Germain, and players such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, to create casual, free-to-play games. The studio, Hermit Crab, was born, with Vivian at its helm. The initial mobile title was a huge success, attracting over six million organic users across different platforms. This success paved the way for more games based on other football clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester City, and FC Barcelona. Hermit Crab now employs over 100 people, focusing on sports titles that convey Brazilian culture. The studio has expanded its reach, developing games for platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, in addition to mobile. One of their titles, Sports Land, has gone beyond football, showcasing the diversity of Brazilian sports. Vivian emphasizes the importance of showcasing Brazilian culture through their games, believing that they can deliver more than just game mechanics - they can share their culture with the world. Each Hermit Crab title is built specifically for its respective platform, with a dedicated team for each. The studio has been focusing on building its team over the past three years, creating departments for each platform and integrating games and brands. While many studios aim to release titles independently on consoles or PC, Hermit Crab has been focusing on what Vivian calls metaverse platforms. The reason behind this strategy is to build an audience across the entire gaming ecosystem, targeting different users and being present on popular platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. When it comes to bringing games to these platforms, Vivian stresses the importance of understanding the platform first and foremost. He notes that while licenses are crucial to the success of their games, it's not just about the licenses - the game's mechanics need to be solid, and the game should work independently. Connecting with influencers is also key, as they can help build a community and provide valuable feedback. For Hermit Crab's titles linked to European clubs, Brazil has consistently been one of the top countries in terms of downloads. As a result, the studio has started licensing Brazilian brands, becoming the official game studio for the Brazilian Olympic Committee. They plan to focus on the Brazilian market, learning how to improve their games and connect brands with their titles, before exporting this model to the US, Europe, and Asia. Vivian attributes the studio's rapid growth to its strong company culture and vision to connect sports and games. The focus on culture and strategy has enabled Hermit Crab to constantly reinvent itself, seeking new partners and opportunities. The long-term vision is to become the reference point for sports games with IPs, and Vivian believes that in a few years, when a sports brand wants to enter the gaming world, they will think of Hermit Crab.