Virtuous opens new studio in the San Francisco Bay area | Pocket Gamer.biz

Developer Virtuos have launched Calypte, a new studio based in the bay area of San Francisco.

Calypte is Virtuos first full-service studio in North America and will cover all aspects of game production including art, design, and engineering.

Calypte will leverage the success Virtuos had operating virtually throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting flexible working, with employees encouraged to work from anywhere. The studio will also host employees from Virtuos’s 12 other studios worldwide, encouraging integration and interoperability.

Why San Francisco?

Virtuos hopes that Calypte’s proximity to the games development hub of San Francisco will enhance collaboration between itself and its partners, allowing a stronger alignment on project requirements and a shorter turnaround time. The studio will also take advantage of the region’s expertise in development, storytelling, and technology.

Through this, as well as leveraging its established development model and expertise, Virtuos hopes to create bigger games more quickly, helping it to meet growing consumer demand for high-quality live content.

“We saw the opportunity to bring Virtuos’ values and expertise in distributed game development to the Bay Area. With the launch of Calypte, we look to provide alternative and accelerated career paths with opportunities to work on diverse AAA games,” said Virtuos general manager of North America Jake DiGennaro. “We also remain dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that fosters and embraces creative endeavors – and ultimately, the making of great games.”

Calypte is led by studio director Kirsten Kennedy [pictured] a producer with over two years of experience in the industry, including working on franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, The Walking Dead, and Sid Meier’s Civilization.

“I’m excited to be joining the Virtuos family and am honored by the trust that Jake and the team have in me to steer our growth in North America,” said Kennedy. “From the concentration of gaming studios in the region to the diverse pool of highly-skilled and experienced gaming talent, the Bay Area is a fantastic place to grow our studio.”

This is the latest in a string of expansions and acquisitions made by Virtuos, following the launch of a new studio in Kuala Lumpur and the acquisition of Volmi Games earlier this year.