Total War maker Creative Assembly has opened a new development studio in Newcastle, UK.

The new opening has been christened Creative Assembly North (CA North) and is currently working on an unannounced project in tandem with the company's team in Sussex.

The news means Creative Assembly now has two studios in the UK and another in Sofia, Bulgaria, taking the company's total headcount to over 850 permanent employees.

CA North will be led by industry veteran Giselle Stewart, who previously served as Ubisoft's director of UK corporate affairs, and prior to that worked at Ubisoft studio Reflections as general manager.

"Starting a new development studio from scratch with the full support and insights of one of the UK's oldest and largest studios is incredibly exciting. We are embracing flexibility, fast iteration, and creation, while fostering cross-location collaboration," said Stewart.

"We are bringing new job opportunities to the North-East, building a studio which amplifies the fantastic culture and values of Creative Assembly."

Creative Assembly hopes to expand CA North to around 100 staffers over the coming years, and explained the team will also be tasked with improving the company's tools, workflows, and development practices.