The Bitmap Brothers

United Kingdom · Founded 1987 · Developer

The London studio of Mike Montgomery, Eric Matthews and Steve Kelly, whose Xenon 2, Speedball 2, Gods and The Chaos Engine became classics of the 16-bit Amiga era.

Mike Montgomery, Eric Matthews and Steve Kelly founded The Bitmap Brothers in 1987 in Wapping, east London. The founders cultivated a rock-star image unusual for game developers — they once posed in dark sunglasses beside Robert Maxwell's helicopter. Their first game, the shooter Xenon (1988), was followed the same year by the futuristic sport Speedball, then Xenon 2: Megablast (1989), Cadaver and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe (1990), Gods and Magic Pockets (1991), and The Chaos Engine (1993). Several were published by Mirrorsoft, whose Image Works label released Speedball 2. The team was voted Best 16-bit Programmers of the Year at the 1989 Golden Joystick Awards. In the late 1990s it moved into real-time strategy with Z (1996) and Z: Steel Soldiers (2001). Rebellion Developments bought its back catalogue in 2019.