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The Dublin-based gaming company has added Waste Creative in the UK and Wicked Witch in Australia to its growing list of acquisitions.
Gaming industry giant Keywords Studios has confirmed the acquisition of two more companies as it continues to expand its influence across the globe.
The Dublin-headquartered company announced today (21 December) that is has acquired Waste Creative in the UK and Wicked Witch in Australia.
These are the latest acquisitions in a series of deals done by Keywords Studios as it expands into new regions and sectors. In August, it acquired Romanian art creation studio AMC and in April it acquired British developer Climax Studios.
These deals followed a prolific 2020, during which Keywords acquired companies such as PR firm Indigo Pearl, Italian recording studio Jinglebell Communications and Hollywood marketing firm Gnet. Last month, it also announced an upgrade and expansion to its audio and post-production facility in Italy.
New additions
Waste Creative is a digital creative marketing agency based in London, with 70 employees who will remain with the business after the deal with Keywords Studios.
Founded in 2006, the company provides market strategy, creative production services and player community management for mobile video game creators such as Supercell, Nintendo and Riot Games.
Waste Creative is forecast to generate revenue of £6m in the year ending 30 June 2022. Under the terms of the acquisition, Keywords will pay up to £9.8m.
Waste Creative co-founder Visar Statovci said the company is “thrilled” by the opportunities of being with a leading global business, allowing the team to “expand our services to meet our clients’ full marketing needs”.
Keywords Studios’ new CEO, Bertrand Bodson, added: “We are really looking forward to working with Waste Creative’s highly skilled and experienced team. Games-as-a-service marketing support with a focus on community growth and fan retention are areas of increasing importance to our clients and Waste Creative will help us meet that growing demand.”
Wicked Witch is a video game development studio in Melbourne that was founded in 2001. With 73 staff, it works for large publishers including Microsoft and Riot Games as well as Australia-based developers and publishers.
Wicked Witch is forecast to generate revenue of $6m in 2022 and has been acquired for a cash payment of $6.5m. This furthers Keywords Studios’ expansion into Australia after it became a majority investor in Melbourne-based game developer Tantalus Media earlier this year.
“Wicked Witch’s skilled and talented team is a great addition to our game development service line and will increase our ability to meet clients’ strong demand for technical development solutions,” Bodson noted.
Wicked Witch studio head Steve Dauterman said this acquisition will accelerate the company’s growth “and provide our clients and staff with the opportunities that come with joining this industry-leading global business”.
Founded in 1998, Keywords Studios now has more than 70 facilities in 23 countries and works in areas including art, audio, development, quality assurance, localisation and player support.
The company enjoys a strong market position, providing services to 23 of the top 25 most prominent games companies including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Epic Games and Ubisoft.
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