Pac-Man publisher signs largest OC lease in third quarter

The studio behind Pac-Man chomped its way into Irvine with a new office lease for its U.S. subsidiaries.

Tokyo-based Bandai Namco signed a 70,000-square-foot lease at 15500 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine, the firm said. JLL brokered the deal on behalf of the firm.

The video game developer and publisher of arcade classics and newer hits including “Dark Souls” will consolidate four subsidiaries in the Irvine office. Bandai Namco also makes toys through one of its units.

The building is located on land owned by the Irvine Ranch Water District, records show.

In April, the firm closed its office in Santa Clara with the intention of moving to Southern California. Bandai Namco had between 150 and 200 people working from the Northern California office.

Irvine has become a smaller hub for video game publishers in recent years. Amazon Game Studios, Blizzard Entertainment and Sega of America, among other firms, have taken up space there.

Bandai Namco’s new lease shows a “rapidly expanding presence for video game publishers in the region,” which has been home to gaming companies for more than 30 years, JLL’s Scott Wetzel said in a statement.

Bandai Namco’s new lease comes as a reprieve for Orange County’s office market. About 15 percent of all office space was vacant in the third quarter, according to Newmark.

The deal was the largest new lease in Orange County in the third quarter. Satellite firm Terran Orbital signed a larger sublease, taking 89,000 square feet of space at 400 Spectrum Center Drive.