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Blind Squirrel Games, a full-service game development studio based in Irvine, California, has recently announced the acquisition of Distributed Development, a service-oriented studio located in Colombia. Following this acquisition, the studio will be rebranded as Blind Squirrel Games Colombia.
Known for acclaimed titles such as Bioshock: The Collection and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Blind Squirrel is currently developing a new original game titled Cosmorons.
This strategic expansion into Manizales, Colombia, which is conveniently situated about an hour’s flight from major cities like Medellin and Bogota, enhances Blind Squirrel’s international presence. The studio, which already has teams operating in California, Texas, and New Zealand, aims to provide high-quality and cost-effective triple-A development services.
Brad Hendricks, CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Games, expressed the significance of this acquisition, stating, “Blind Squirrel Games Colombia marks an important milestone for our studio as we celebrate our 15th anniversary. We’ve grown into a worldwide network of development excellence, which not only increases our capacity but also enhances our creative perspective and technical capabilities to deliver exceptional value to our partners. With Blind Squirrel Games Colombia collaborating closely with our existing teams, we can achieve greater efficiency and foster market-leading innovation across all our projects.”
Eric Herrera, the former head of Distributed Development, will continue to lead the newly established Blind Squirrel Games Colombia as studio director. Under his leadership, the Colombian studio has built a reputation for its expertise in software development, having collaborated with clients such as Microsoft.
Hendricks emphasized the studio’s ambition to set a high standard in video game development and to expand into original intellectual property while maintaining a strong focus on co-development efforts. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve genuinely pioneered the co-development space, bridging the gap into the triple-A arena,” he said in a conversation with GamesBeat. “We’re now dedicated to expanding our identity as a brand and recruiting fresh talent from around the globe.”
Hendricks further recounted a collaborative project with Herrera’s team, which solidified his confidence in their capabilities. “We worked closely on a project with Playside, and the outcome was very successful. After working together for about a year, we recognized their talent and work ethic, which led us to pursue this acquisition.”
Blind Squirrel Games Colombia aims for significant expansion in 2025, targeting a workforce of 25 to 30 employees in a new facility in Manizales. This location benefits from a burgeoning pool of university graduates eager to break into the gaming industry, presenting a unique opportunity in a relatively young gaming market.
In contrast, Blind Squirrel Games, having established itself as a boutique studio in the U.S., has plans to grow its current workforce of 98 to around 140 over the next few months, celebrating its 15th year of developing high-quality games.
Herrera noted in his interview that the synergy and collaboration between teams from both studios were evident during their prior work together. “Our collaboration resulted in a fantastic experience. The Blind Squirrel team showed exceptional care for our team, even when we were contracted rather than employees,” he explained. “This level of attention to individual team members is rare and contributes to a healthy work environment.”
He added that their previous partnership has set the stage for enhanced initiatives aimed at developing talent within the region. “We’re excited about the opportunity to nurture and advance talent in Colombia, which is crucial for the future growth of our studio,” Herrera stated.
Blind Squirrel Games Colombia has also made strides in technological innovation, having developed an Unreal Engine-based AI tool that is now being integrated across the studio’s global operations to optimize project efficiencies and reduce completion times.
Although the specific terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, the growth trajectory within the gaming industry appears promising, especially in light of recent improvements compared to the previous two years. Currently, Blind Squirrel is involved in projects such as State of Decay 3, which will be published by Microsoft.
Hendricks acknowledged the competitive landscape of the gaming industry, pointing to large firms like Keywords and Virtuos, which boast extensive teams focused on external development. Yet he remains confident in Blind Squirrel’s niche, emphasizing a strong focus on design, production management, and engineering as key differentiators.
Feedback on the game Cosmorons has been largely positive, achieving a 70% favorable rating from the community. Hendricks noted, “We’re planning to engage with our audience over the coming months through an early access model on Steam, allowing us to gather feedback and refine the game further before a full launch next year.”
The advantages of setting up operations in Colombia include lower labor costs—approximately a third of expenses in California—though Hendricks emphasized that the decision to acquire Distributed Development was primarily based on the exceptional talent they offered rather than cost alone.
Since its inception a decade ago, Herrera’s team has worked on various games, including Age of Darkness: Final Stand and projects for Nickelodeon. The challenge remains to retain local university graduates in the gaming sector, a goal Herrera is passionately pursuing.
“We believe Eric can find the talent to help build a strong gaming industry in Colombia,” concluded Hendricks, underscoring a commitment to both local engagement and international collaboration in the evolving gaming landscape.
Source
venturebeat.com