Hardsuit Labs
Hardsuit Labs was founded with the same goal as every other game development studio that has ever existed to make great games.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | $15.0m | Acquisition | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Hardsuit Labs is a Seattle-based game development studio established in 2015 by co-founders Andy Kipling and Russell Nelson. The studio emerged from the closure of another Seattle studio, Zombie Studios, with a core team that wished to continue working together. Initially operating as Builder Box, the company has focused on providing co-development, engineering, and porting services to major players in the gaming industry.
The firm's business model centers on offering partnership and support services for a wide range of game development needs, from optimization and networking to providing additional engineering resources during critical pre-launch phases. Their portfolio includes contributions to high-profile titles such as "Call of Duty: Warzone," "Chivalry II," and "Gears of War 4." Hardsuit Labs also developed the free-to-play first-person shooter "Blacklight: Retribution" in collaboration with Zombie Studios. The studio eventually ceased support for the game's PC version in 2019 and the PlayStation 4 version's servers were scheduled to shut down in August 2025.
A significant milestone in the company's history was the partnership with Paradox Interactive. In 2018, Paradox acquired a 33% stake in Hardsuit Labs for $2 million and tasked the studio with developing the highly anticipated sequel, "Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2." However, the project faced a troubled development cycle, leading to the departure of key creative personnel in 2020. In early 2021, Paradox Interactive removed Hardsuit Labs from the project, a decision that resulted in layoffs at the studio, notably affecting the entire narrative team. Despite this setback, the studio continued its operations. In May 2023, Hardsuit Labs was acquired by Keywords Studios, a global leader in game development services, for an undisclosed sum, though one source mentions an acquisition amount of $8.25M. Co-founders Andy Kipling and Russell Nelson have continued to lead the business post-acquisition.
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