Keywords acquires co-development studio Certain Affinity

Keywords Studios announced today that it plans to acquire Certain Affinity for an undisclosed sum. Certain Affinity is a well-known game co-development studio that has worked on games such as Halo, Hogwarts Legacy and Call of Duty. Keywords plans to add the new studio’s talents to its Create division. Certain Affinity’s CEO and founder Max Hoberman and his management team will continue to lead the company post-acquisition.

Certain Affinity employs over 180 people across two separate locations and is currently working on multiple projects — one of which is Exodus, which it’s co-developing with Archetype Entertainment. It’s not yet clear whether any projects in its pipeline will change following the acquisition. This is the second game studio acquisition that Keywords has made so far this year, and one of several it’s made in the last few years. Other acquisitions in the gaming sector include Wushu Studios, The Multiplayer Group and Fortyseven Communications.

Keywords CEO Bertrand Bodson said in a statement, “We are thrilled to welcome Certain Affinity to the Keywords Group. We have enormous respect for their business and reputation. They bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to our Create division, complementing our existing skills and expanding our presence notably in the US and Canada. We look forward to partnering with Max, Paul, and their team over the coming years to continue to drive growth in our Create division and overall business.”

Hoberman minced no words about what he considered his company’s good fortune. “At this most difficult time in the market, we’re thrilled to be able to provide stability and a supportive home for our team. The respect for our talent and culture that Keywords has shown, along with a willingness to invest in our growth, is unparalleled.”

The “most difficult time” to which Hoberman is likely referring is the current employment crisis in the games industry. At present, the count for layoffs in the industry sits at around 13,000 games according to videogamelayoffs.com, and multiple smaller studios have publicly revealed an inability to secure funding to support their staff.