One of the world’s leading video gaming companies, Keywords Studios, has opened two new studios in Malta, spread over 1,000 square metres of office space.
Inaugurating the studios, Minister for the Economy, European Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri said that it was indeed a great honour to see that world renowned Keywords chose Malta to open two new locations for its Sperasoft and Electric Square studios.
The Sperasoft and Electric Square teams have worked on top games the likes of Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and Halo.
“Just over a year ago, we excitedly announced that a world-renowned international video game industry service provider would be setting up operations right here in Malta. Today, we officially inaugurated Keywords Studios, a publicly listed firm on the London Stock Exchange that boasts a global presence with 12,000 employees across seventy studios worldwide,” stated Minister Schembri.
“The presence of Keywords Studios in Malta marks a paradigm shift for our local industry. We now have more highly skilled talent working on triple-A titles and innovative teams embracing cutting-edge technology,” continued the minister.
Having just set up a base in Malta, Keywords will already have a team of 40 people lined up to operate from its Malta base by end of year.
Keywords Studios has a notable presence in the Playcon expo currently being held at Ta’ Qali.
Minister Schembri highlighted that Malta continues to attract various video game development companies, including homegrown talents like Anvil Games, Dorado Games, Narc, Exient and now Keywords. “Our target is for this sector to account for 1% of our country’s GDP by 2028,” emphasised Minister Schembri.
He also recalled his trips to Gamescon in Germany whereby he met a number of company representatives operating in the video gaming and esports arena who were interested in setting up shop in Malta. “This goes to show how important it is to network during fairs and conventions of this calibre as we witness more and more companies of this kind opening their doors here in Malta,” concluded Minister Schembri.
Fulvio Sioli, Regional Managing Director of Keyword studios in Europe, said that: “At Keywords Studios, we are delighted to open our first locations in Malta for two of our leading game development studios, Sperasoft and Electric Square. This further expands our global footprint and will help drive our growth in the gaming industry. We have received great support by the institutions in Malta to manage the process and the care and the attention we have been given has exceeded our expectations.”
“We are looking forward to strengthening our cooperation with the local gaming community and collaborating with the Maltese Government to explore educational initiatives. Our goal is to contribute to making Malta a hub of a world-class talents in the gaming industry. We hope for a promising future, fuelled by the immense potential of this partnership,” concluded Mr Sioli.
Photos: DOI/MEFL
