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Coconut Lizard

Games & Interactive
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Founded
2015
Employees
11-50
Offices
1

About Coconut Lizard

Coconut Lizard is a video game co-development and engineering studio based in North East England. Founded in Sunderland in September 2015 by Robert Troughton, it supports AAA developers and publishers through specialist programming, optimization and cross-platform development. Troughton previously led Pitbull Studio, which Epic Games acquired in 2014.

The studio specializes in Unreal Engine engineering, including custom engine modifications, performance analysis, stability improvements and technical consultation. Its work spans PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, mobile and VR/AR platforms. Alongside programming, it provides technical art, asset performance analysis and in-house quality assurance.

Engineering and development support

Coconut Lizard works as a development partner on existing games and new releases. Its capabilities include integrating third-party middleware, building custom tools, fixing bugs and hardening code for release. Technical art work examines mesh complexity, levels of detail and texture efficiency to identify opportunities for better performance. Porting services cover additional platform development as well as platform-specific optimization.

Its portfolio includes multi-year engineering, performance analysis and feature development for Rare’s Sea of Thieves. The studio also helped bring the Frostbite-powered EA SPORTS FC 24 to Nintendo Switch and supplied co-development and engineering support for EA SPORTS FC 25. Other supported credits include Dead Island 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Concord, Exoborne, Conan Exiles and LawBreakers.

Development within a wider group

Keywords Studios acquired Coconut Lizard in June 2020. Within the group, it collaborates closely with sister studio d3t on AAA co-development while retaining a separate public brand and portfolio history.

The studio moved from Sunderland to Gateshead in September 2019 to accommodate expansion. Its former standalone legal entity underwent a solvent group restructuring and was dissolved in April 2026. Coconut Lizard continues commercial development as an operating studio brand within Keywords Studios.

More about Coconut Lizard

Workplace and recognition

  • The studio describes an anti-crunch approach and participates in joint wellbeing programmes with d3t.
  • Coconut Lizard received GamesIndustry.biz Best Places to Work awards in 2021 and 2023, as well as Mind Workplace Wellbeing Silver certification.

Production methods and shared support

  • Performance profiling uses tools including Razor CPU/GPU, PIX and VTune.
  • Collaboration with d3t extends to shared IT and administrative infrastructure, recruitment pathways and joint graduate development programmes.

Notable credits

10 credits
  • EA SPORTS FC 25
  • Concord
  • Exoborne
  • EA SPORTS FC 24
  • Dead Island 2
  • Hogwarts Legacy
  • Sea of Thieves
  • Conan Exiles
  • Battalion 1944: Eastern Front
  • LawBreakers

Offices

Current and former locations of Coconut Lizard

2 locations

  • Gateshead office

    Headquarters
    Metro House, Marconi Way, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 9NH, United KingdomGateshead, England, United Kingdom

    Opened 2019

    About this office

    Primary physical studio and operational headquarters for Coconut Lizard’s engineering and art teams, following the September 2019 relocation from Sunderland.

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  • Sunderland office

    Former office
    Evolve Business Centre, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton le Spring / Sunderland, United KingdomSunderland, England, United Kingdom

    Opened 2015 · Closed 2019

    Founding premises, vacated when the studio relocated its entire workforce to Gateshead in September 2019.

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