Game developer Black Shamrock - A Virtuos Studio plans to add 80 jobs in Dublin after announcing the expansion of its operations at the Guinness Enterprise Centre.
The co-development studio will bring its total headcount to 200 by the end of 2023 with the new hires.
The company specialises in the co-development of RPG and action-adventure games for PC and games consoles, and has developed some of the world's most popular AAA titles since its foundation in 2015, and its takeover by Virtuos, the world's largest independent game developer, two years later
The studio has The Outer Worlds, Grounded, Back 4 Blood, Destroy All Humans!, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and Pillars of Eternity. Currently, the Black Shamrock team has multiple AAA games, typically big-budget games created by major studios, in active development.
Since the Virtuos takeover, Black Shamrock has also expanded its co-development capabilities, collaborating with the biggest game studios around the world, and it is rapidly expanding to take on some of the industry's most ambitious projects.
In Association with
Gilles Langourieux, CEO of Virtuos, said: “Ireland’s pool of young, diverse and highly-skilled talent has empowered it to become a key global player in video game development.
"In 2017, we saw the opportunity to expand into Dublin in partnership with Black Shamrock, which has proven to be a good fit with Virtuos’ company culture of innovation and creativity.
"Through Black Shamrock, we hope to continuously enable the long-term development of local talent and the expansion of the games industry in Ireland.”
Virtuos is headquartered in Singapore and has studios across Asia, Europe and North America with over 3,500 full-time staff specialising in the game development and art production for AAA consoles, PC and mobile titles.
The company has delivered content for more than 2,000 gaming and art projects, and its clients include 18 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide
Black Shamrock is actively seeking talent in art, design, engineering, and production, with additional business support roles opening up in the coming months. Interested candidates can learn more about Black Shamrock’s current opportunities here.
"We are rapidly expanding all areas of production at Black Shamrock to cater to the growing needs of our client partners," said Lukas Codr, general manager of Black Shamrock.
"The game projects that we are currently developing are some of the most exciting in the world, so it is the perfect time to join us if you want to work on the most awe-inspiring AAA games and do some of the best work of your career.”
Commenting on the announcement, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said the news was "particularly welcome at a time when other tech companies are announcing job losses.
"It also shows that the tax changes recently introduced for the digital gaming industry are working. I wish the team all the best in this exciting new chapter.”
Eileen Sharpe, IDA Ireland’s head of growth markets, said, “Ireland’s combination of creative and technical talent makes it the perfect location from which to grow and develop the video gaming sector.
"IDA Ireland welcomes this investment, and the opportunity to create high-quality jobs for talented people in this exciting growth area.”
Photo: (l-r) Eileen Sharpe and Lukas Codr.
