Certain Affinity, a developer renowned for its collaborative projects on major franchises such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Hogwarts Legacy, has been acquired by Keywords Studios. Keywords, a Dublin-based company, is a global giant with ownership of 50 companies worldwide, many of which are involved in the video game industry. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Certain Affinity's CEO Max Hoberman and president Paul Sams will remain with the company post-acquisition. Keywords expressed enthusiasm for Certain Affinity's future, which includes a "robust pipeline of high-quality projects." One notable project is the game Exodus, featuring Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey, where Certain Affinity is co-developing with Archetype Entertainment, a division of Wizards of the Coast.

Keywords CEO Bertrand Bodson expressed "great respect" for Certain Affinity, while Hoberman expressed his excitement about the sale to Keywords, especially during a challenging market period. He highlighted that the acquisition provides Certain Affinity and its over 180 employees with "stability and a supportive environment." The video game industry has recently faced significant layoffs, prompting former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden to call for a "hard reset" in business models, warning that the current state could be a "death sentence." This acquisition marks Keywords' second major purchase in 2024, following the acquisition of Wushu Studios in August. Keywords also owns other notable studios such as Heavy Iron Studios (Marvel's Avengers), D3T (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt), and Tantalus Media (Luigi's Mansion 2 HD), along with PR and creative service agencies like Fortyseven Communications and Big Farmer.

Certain Affinity was founded in 2006 by Hoberman and other former Bungie developers. The studio's first original game, Age of Booty, was released in 2008. More recently, Certain Affinity gained attention for its work on a battle royale mode for Halo Infinite, which was eventually canceled. In March 2024, the studio laid off approximately 25 employees, marking its first significant round of cuts in nearly two decades of operation.

Source link:   https://www.gamespot.com