SL23B Meet the Lindens: Second Life Studios

On Friday, June 26th 2026, Linden Lab held the last of the SL23B Meet the Lindens events, featuring Second Life Studios and its work. Unlike previous articles in this series, this is not a summary of the full discussion. Instead, topics thought to be of the widest interest to reader have been annotated.

Table of Contents Participants What is Second Life Studios? On Working with Creators Taking a Second Life Studios Project from Conception to Release Mainland Notes Linden Home Notes Misc Questions

Because of this, the full content of the session can be obtained via the official video of the event, which is also embedded at the end of this article.

Also, please note:

• Because of the format selected, topics and questions are not necessarily in chronological order compared to the video, but have been grouped by subject.
• Timestamps to the relevant point in the video have been included for all questions for ease of reference.

Participants

There was a large contingent of Moles at the session alongside LL staff, with those actively participating in the discussions comprising:

• Brett Linden, Vice President of Marketing Second Life
• Derek Linden, Senior Manager of Product Operations.
• Izzy Linden, Creative Producer for Second Life Studios.
• Abnor Mole.
• Alotta Mole
• Brigantia Mole
• Itsa Mole
• Missy Mole – also host.

What is Second Life Studios?

[5:50-11:04]

Izzy Linden – Overview Second Life Studios has actually been around for a while operating in the background but not generally advertised [although many will be familiar with the LPDW and the Moles]. Regards it as the “heart of collaboration between Linden Lab and our residents”, whether working with the Moles to create infrastructure or collaborating with resident creators in developing experiences, etc. Brett Linden – Context Second Life Studios came out of a need to have better coordination with growth and marketing in bringing people into SL and what happens once they arrive inside the world. So Marketing the SL Studios are somewhat combined to better drive new user acquisition and engagement.

Who Are the Moles? The Moles were formed in 2008 as the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) and a Second Life residents around the world hired by Linden Lab as independent contractors to undertake specific tasks. They are managed by Derrick Linden. Their work was originally focused on the Mainland, adding the infrastructure – roads, bridges, etc., and the landscaping, but has grown beyond this. Notable major projects carried out by the Moles include: the infrastructure within Nautilus City; the development of Bay City; the Linden Homes continent of Bellisseria; facilities for events like Shop & Hop, SLB, etc; the turn-key regions available for businesses, starter avatars, etc; LL-provided experiences and the games accessible via the Portal Parks). The Moles have also been involved in technical projects like Project Bento and the avatar skeleton extension, and work with marketing, QA and other LL teams, and the framework of Second Life Studios. In keeping with their name, Moles were originally given a mole avatar, complete with hard hat. However, over the years, most have moved to having a more individual and personal look. Positions in the LDPW are open to application by residents. Résumés (note card or email) of qualifications/experience (incl. links SLurls, Flickr, You Tube, etc.) to be sent to Derrick Linden (derrick.linden-at-lindenlab.com).

• Some of this was discussed in the Marketing and Growth Meet the Lindens session in which the marketing and user acquisition work was discussed, together with the existing and upcoming marketing channels LL will be using and the creative partnerships being developed with residents.
• All of this work is being coordinated with a new Strategic Insights Team – a team of data experts at LL helping guide the company towards achieving its goals.
• SL Studios fits into this because no matter how much is spent on advertising and promotion, it will all fall down if that first exposure to SL just doesn’t work to retain users.
• SL Studios is also part of the New User Experience Working Group, which also involves resident creators, sharing information, learning about what works and does not work in creating experiences for new users – with the Mobile Learning Centre built by the Studios team proving to be the strongest performer in testing.
• And it is not just new users: SL Studios is a key part in land operations and maintenance, Linden Homes, community events and so on.

Brett Linden – Broader Notes:

• The future will see better synergy with marketing and acquisition efforts including partnerships with creators in some cases.
• Lua scripting is coming to SL, and there will be a showcase experience for that, which can be seen as an example of a partnership.
• LL wants to continue working with all types of creators, the Moles, external partners, etc., to bring Second Life and make it better, especially for newcomers during that precious first minute or so of what people uh are they’re forming their opinions of whether this is for them or not.

On Working with Creators

[61:00:01-1:01:38] In terms of partnerships, what qualities do you look for in potential collaborations? And what have you learned from working so closely with creators across the community?

Brett Linden:

• There are a lot of uh opportunities for collaboration, and much of this was covered in the Marketing and Growth session.
• However, LL really is trying to take in feedback and look at the data and the numbers to assess what sort of changes should be made in the future [which affects what is being sought by way of collaboration].

Izzy Linden:

• Has greatly enjoyed working with creators. Some bring amazing ideas which might be a concept being thought of, other times a way to accomplish something LL hadn’t thought of.
• The important part is that this isn’t a competition; together LL and residents build a stronger community, and that’s always better for everyone in Second Life.

Taking a Second Life Studios Project from Conception to Release

[44:46-47:16]

Izzy Linden:

• The first stage is to define the overall scope of a project. How long will it take? How many resources are needed? Once this is defined, “mood boards” are developed to build a collective view of what’s possible.
• The “mood boards” are used to focus things down to a cohesive concept, which is in turn used to develop road map of the work to be done: what will it look like? What will the creators need to build? What supporting will be needed? And so on.
• As the project is built, so it involves other elements as well, such as animation, scripting, lighting, sounds, which are worked on as the project is built out. Then there is also quality control and project release.

Brett Linden:

• Just to expand on this: there is also the open form Creator Partnership Programme, which has received 700+ pitches. The projects that are taken up can involve Second Life Studios working alongside resident creators.

[35:03-36:16] How do you balance nostalgia and innovation when designing for a platform with more than 20 years of history?

Izzy Linden:

• This is always in the forefront of thinking. Whilst striving to innovate and bring new and interesting options to Second Life, there is a need to honour history and traditions.
• Believe some of this is accomplished through innovations and themes like Linden Homes which bring new and exciting homes to our users but also balance Mainland and communities like Bay City together with the total freedom found in having a private island, and giving residents the freedom to choose / move between options.

[Side note: during the discussion individuals were asked for what may have at some point inspired them in terms of region designs. Answers notably included Paul Cutter’s (Xtreme Paule) Mother Road [which I last visited – at Paul’s invitation – in 2017, and have an update on how it has expanded waiting in the wings] and Fantasy Faire, SLB and the art installation such as found in SLEA. ]

Mainland Notes

[39:37-42:25] What role does Mainland play in the future of Second Life? Are there plans for broader improvements such as terrain texture updates, infrastructure upgrades, road expansions, or other modernisation efforts?

Derek Linden:

• Things are happening with Mainland. The transitioning from Gaeta 1 and the expansion of Zindra are happening [see the original announcement and the Town Hall meeting summary].
• This work is not isolated, and there are plans in development – not yet in a position to be discussed –which will hopefully excite residents.
• So yes, Mainland is getting more of an intentional focus, and that includes goals of terrain texture updates, environment settings and the general look and feel of the world.
• LL is always looking for opportunities to expand / improve the Mainland infrastructure – roads, waterways. The approach here is deliberate: suggestions are taken when submitted as feedback or a pro-active look is taken for areas where that infrastructure is genuinely lacking and there is the available land to actually do something meaningful, and target it.

Brett Linden:

• Yes, Mainland is important and the upcoming “community priorities programme” [intended to give the community a stronger voice in weighing in on where they want attention focused in-world] in progress. There is going to be more opportunities for people to weigh-in on matters.

Izzy Linden:

• Mainland is a critical part of the tradition of Second Life. It’s a place where residents are only limited by their creativity. It’s going away anytime soon.
• There is a lot LL can do to assist in the process with additional infrastructure and such like as Derek notes, and so is excited for the future of Mainland.

[42:34-44:41] Many mainland residents have neighbouring parcels that have been abandoned for years by owners who haven’t logged in for a decade or more. Can you explain how LL approaches these situations and whether there are any discussions about addressing long-term inactive land ownership?

Derek Linden:

• A frequent topic, which is more nuanced than might appear to be the case. These parcels are not necessarily Abandoned Land, in virtually all of these cases the parcel holder is paying tier, even if their accounts appear to be inactive.
• This creates a real obligation for LL. When someone steps away from Second Life, for whatever period of time, they have a reasonable expectation that when they come back, their land is going to be exactly as they left it. That trust has to be taken seriously.
• While understanding some people may be frustrated with dealing with a neighbouring eyesore or neglected parcel; LL has to be really thoughtful about balancing that against the rights of the person who is still a paying customer uh for all intents and purposes.
• Won’t pretend that this is problem with a potential solution, but it deserves on-going conversation. LL wants the mainland to feel vibrant and alive and long-term vacancy does work against that, so the company will continue to consider and think about that.

[26:06-30:55] If you could redesign one area of Mainland from scratch, what would you choose and why?

• Alotta Mole: redesign the Second Life Railroad (SLRR) system and Mainland roads to better reflect how SL is used and provide more opportunities along them for discovery.
• Itsa Mole: wouldn’t really want to change anything about Mainland because it is a part of the Second Life experience.
• Abnor Mole: extending the road system or add coastlines to those areas lacking them so that people could sail / boat around them.
• Izzy Linden: more collaboration with Mainland residents, so small communities like “mini Bay city”, planting the seeds and then allowing the resident to grow things.
• Brett Linden: would point to the upcoming “community priorities programme” [see above] as a way for Mainland residents to suggest Mainland improvements, preservation efforts, infrastructure projects they would like to see.

[1:10:51-1:12:06] As since Zindra is getting some attention, could we get water regions or protected waterways added northeast of the continent to facilitate sailing all around it?

Derek Linden:

• Sailable water around Zindra is a frequent and not unreasonable request given the size of the sailing community.
• Nothing to currently announce, but as thought is given to what comes next for Zindra, water access is part of that conversation. LL is aware of the gaps being described and wants to be thought about thoughtful about what can be done with that space as opportunities arise.

Linden Homes Notes

[36:35-37:36] Many residents would like to see more Premium Plus homes made available. Are there plans for this?

Izzy Linden:

• LL is always adding Premium Plus homes to the available join flow, but would rather avoid creating multiple regions which are not occupied. So there are attempt to balance things.
• So things are rotated. One theme might get rolled out and receive a pick-up, and when that peters out, then a switch is made to another theme.

[37:39-38:18] Residents in Bellisseria are curious about the long- awaited completion of the Mediterranean continent. Can you share any updates on those plans?

Izzy Linden:

• As noted, LL expand existing areas based on use and need; as all the available homes for a theme are acquired, more can be added.
• At the same time, LL does not want to finish an entire area that then has a whole bunch of partially empty regions with a fiscal cost shared by everybody. So again, it’s a balance.

[38:38-39:36] Copperfield Heights has proven extremely popular. Are there plans for additional regions and might we see more 2048 parcels offered in future releases?

Izzy Linden:

• There is an attempt to keep some Copperfield Heights available as it is the most recent Linden Homes theme, but there are other themes as mentioned, so things will rotate.
• Personally loves Copperfield Height as it does mix Plus, Premium and Premium Plus together.

[1:03:34-1:04:08] Has the team ever considered a short-term vacation rental system that would allow residents to temporarily experience different Linden home themes without permanently giving up their existing home?

Izzy Linden:

• An interesting idea, but will need some significant thought into it so as not to compete with those residents already offering vacation options. Would just say it’s not outside of the realm of possibility.

[1:13:55-1:14:51] Are there any plans to revamp the older Linden home area textures to PBR?

Izzy Linden:

• Yes, but care must be taken with PBR because it affects so many different things that it might require a complete rebuild of themes – which is not out of the realm of possibility.
• Currently LL is making some additional builds for some of the existing homes that aren’t just more of the same; they are kind-of thematically compatible but have additional options.

[1:14:56-1:15:45] Are there any new themes on the horizon for Linden Homes?

Izzy Linden:

• While not currently working on any completely new themes, thought is always being given to what any new themes might be.
• Right now the focus is on additions to some existing themes a little like the recent updates to the Log Homes theme, except they’re compatible with the selected existing themes but not exactly more of the same.

Misc Questions

[1:12:25-1:13:20] Education: Is there is there someone who looks into the needs of small non-profit educational projects in Second Life?

Derek Linden:

• LL does have a non-profit and educational programme that does offer discounts for the needs for those individuals, and there are a number of contacts associated with it.
• There are some requirements around the programme, but support tickets requesting assistance from the Land Operations team can be filed, so conversations can be had on available options and where LL can help.

[1:01:54-1:02:58] The Cornfield: The Cornfield remains one of Second Life’s most legendary locations. Is there any chance residents might see it return in some form someday?

Derek Linden:

• The cornfield holds a really special place in Second Life’s history, but currently there are no concrete plans around it right now. But it has not been forgotten about, either; its legacy and meaning for many in the community is understood.
• If there is a “right” opportunity for bringing it back, it would be considered. It’s more a case of if it is revisited it is done so in a way that honours what makes it special rather than just dusting it off for the sake of it.

 

SL23B Meet the Lindens Summaries

• Philip Rosedale
• Product Team (Grumpity and Keira Linden)
• Engineering Team
• Marketing and Growth (Brett and Fausto Linden)