Keywords Studios opens new Romanian studio

Keywords Studios - a self-described "leading technical and creative services provider to the global video games industry" - has opened a new studio in Bucharest, Romania.

Keywords - which has previously worked as a support studio for various games and developers, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Valorant, and BioWare's next Dragon Age game, Dreadwolf - says the expansion will create more than 1000 jobs in its inaugural five years, 30 of which - all in player support and software development - will be recruited in "the coming months".

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It joins Keywords' existing offices in Dublin, Katowice, Paris, and Milan and expand its global workforce to 12,000 staff further to the acquisition of Forgotten Empires, Mighty Games, Smoking Gun, and AMC Studio in Romania.

"We are looking to hire not only in Bucharest but throughout Romania, offering many remote positions and thus contributing to the development of regions that until now have not been visible to most multinational companies," explains head of studio, Vlad Alexandru. "It is a priority for us to provide specialists with a work-life balance and fair financial recognition in relation to their work, experience, seniority and performance."

Back in April, Keywords' workers were told they would need to resume in-office work within BioWare's Edmonton HQ, as part of the "embedded" service Keywords provides. But Keywords staff pushed back, criticising the necessity for such a move and pointing out that full-time BioWare employees were treated differently - and had paid time off if sick or after a positive Covid test.