Finally, after years of working under a generic name, Bandai Namco has formally given its internal studio working for Nintendo has its own name. Known for work on Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart, the company has not been branded as Studio 2 & Studio S. A bit long but better than nothing?
The team has been known for working on a variety of projects under contract for Nintendo. From Mario Kart 8 on WiiU in 2014 all the way to 2018's Super Smash Bros Ultimate on Nintendo Switch in 2019. But that's not all, as the team has also worked on other "minor" projects for Nintendo, such as the Nintendo Switch debut IP Arms and Mario Sports Superstars.
Despite all this work, the team never really had its own name, something that has now changed. A statement on the new website of Studio 2/Studio S reads: "As a group of professionals we do not compromise on quality, in order to continue creating world-standard titles in the future. We are looking forward to participating in more ambitious creations!"
More interestingly, the website also mentions several new positions open in the studio. For example, a role that will work on a "3D action game commissioned by Nintendo" and a game designer role that also seem to be destined to work on future Nintendo-commissioned projects.
According to the data on their website (from 2022), the team is composed of 152 people, with 78% male and 22% women. They seem to be relying on a strong remote working philosophy, with around 89% of the team having spent the majority of the year working from their homes.
It seems that despite the name change, though, nothing will change for the former-Smash Bros team in the future. Studio 2/Studio S (yes, that's a mouthful) will continue to work for Nintendo, bringing their quality projects to life. We just have to see and wait what the team will also bring on the new Switch 2.