Founded by local games industry pioneers, Virtuos Kuala Lumpur supports the growth of Malaysia as a regional game development hub through talent training and jobs creation 

SINGAPORE, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Virtuos, a leading global video game development company, today announced the official launch of its studio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Virtuos Kuala Lumpur delivers full game development, engineering, and art production services to some of the world’s biggest game developers and publishers. It is part of Virtuos’ global network of studios, which has contributed to iconic games including Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Demon’s Souls, Final Fantasy, Horizon Forbidden West, and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond for Meta Quest 2. 

Helmed by Mufizal Mokhtar as General Manager, Virtuos Kuala Lumpur was founded by a team that includes veteran AAA game developers with over 20 years of experience each, and who have returned home to launch the studio. The team comprises Boon Yan Toh as Studio Operations Director, Ian Ng Siong Yoong as Studio Production Director, Noorazhar Mohd Noor as Senior Lead Artist, and Johaness Reuben as Technical Art Director. Since the studio’s soft launch in early 2021, its team has grown to 90 employees.

“I am pleased to return home to build Virtuos Kuala Lumpur alongside some of my closest friends and pioneers in the industry,” said Mufizal. “We are excited to play an active part in Malaysia’s game development industry and the growth of its digital ecosystem. Thanks to the support of the Malaysian Government and our global Virtuos network, we look forward to welcoming the best talent to our multicultural team and making games better, together.” 

At the forefront of Malaysia’s growing games industry 

The launch of Virtuos Kuala Lumpur will be a significant addition to Malaysia’s fast-developing video games sector. In collaboration with the Malaysian government, Virtuos will focus on further expansion and the training of new talent. 

Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of MIDA, said, “The exponential growth of the global gaming industry has been remarkable as this industry presents many opportunities and a huge potential for growth. The establishment of a Virtuos studio in Malaysia is in line with our efforts to attract creative quality investments, which contribute to a rich and diverse digital media sector and create high-value job opportunities, allowing many young talent to pursue their passion for gaming by making a global impact with fun, creative and original IP conceptualized and developed in Malaysia”.

He added, “With the global gaming revenue projected to reach USD219.90 billion in 2022, continuous technological advancements in the gaming industry are significantly leveling up the way games are created and improving the overall gaming experience for the users. MIDA will continue to play an active role in promoting the gaming industry which will contribute to a sustainable digital ecosystem and position Malaysia atop the list of digital nations. We want to assure companies such as Virtuos that Malaysia can be your home, and we stand ready to support the growth of this industry.”

Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC, said, “MDEC would like to congratulate Virtuos on their expansion to Malaysia. As a globally-renowned video game development company, their presence is evidence of the nation’s vibrant creative digital content ecosystem, and further proof of our role as the regional hub of choice. Virtuos’ commitment towards developing digital talent and creating high-value job opportunities is aligned to the goals of Malaysia Digital. MDEC is looking forward to collaborating closely with Virtuos in supporting their future endeavours”.

Gilles Langourieux, CEO of Virtuos, said, “With the launch of Virtuos Kuala Lumpur, we are excited to contribute to Malaysia’s digitalization and growth as a regional game development hub. We have ambitions to grow our local headcount to 300 by the end of 2025, and become one of Malaysia’s top studios that deliver full-cycle game development expertise and quality projects for our partners worldwide.”

Strategically located between Virtuos’ Singapore headquarters and its largest Asian studios in China and Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur is a natural expansion for Virtuos worldwide. The expansion also builds upon Virtuos’ launches in Lyon and Montreal, as well as its acquisitions of Glass Egg in Ho Chi Minh City and Volmi in Ukraine this year.

About Virtuos
Founded in 2004, Virtuos is a leading global video game development company headquartered in Singapore with studios across Asia, Europe, and North America. With over 3,000 full-time professionals, Virtuos specializes in game development and art production for AAA consoles, PC, and mobile titles, enabling its partners to generate additional revenues and achieve greater operational efficiency. 

For over a decade, Virtuos has successfully delivered high-quality content for more than 2,000 projects and its clients include 18 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide. More information at www.virtuosgames.com. 

Virtuos Kuala Lumpur is actively hiring and welcoming applicants interested in embarking on this next phase of growth with the studio. For more information, please see open positions here or contact hr_my@virtuosgames.com. 

About Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
MIDA is the government's principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is a government agency under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia entrusted to lead Malaysia's digital economy forward. Incorporated in 1996 to oversee the development of the MSC Malaysia initiative, MDEC's primary mandate today is to accelerate the growth of digitally-skilled Malaysians, digitally-powered businesses and digital investments in Malaysia. MDEC is focused on creating inclusive, high-quality growth through the nationwide digitalisation initiatives that are in line with the Government’s Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and firmly establishing Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN.

#MYMDEC #HeartofDigitalASEAN #SayaDigital

To find out more about MDEC’s initiatives, please visit www.mdec.my or follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyMDEC/ 

Associated images for the media release can be found at  
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CNxZ_6o_RDtwmoUmVTvgUAZhp2ufgctJ?usp=sharing

Source: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Media contact for Virtuos
Name: Zuhaili Marican
Tel: +65 8468 7182
Email: virtuos@wachsman.com

Media contact for MIDA
Name: Ms. Rosedalina Binti Ramlan
Director, Business Services and Regional Operations, MIDA
Tel: +603-2267 3515 
Email: rosedalina@mida.gov.my

Media contacts for MDEC
Name: Hazel Hassan
Email: hazel.hassan@mdec.com.my 

--BERNAMA