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A firm which worked on Fortnite is set to come to Wales, giving US company Rocket Science a European base for the first time ever. It will create 50 jobs at their new Cardiff office, and it is hoped that it will put the capital on the map on the gaming scene.
The business has also collaborated with some of the top game producers in the world, including Activision Blizzard, the company behind Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft as well as the creators of Marvel games. The announcement that it would be expanding to work in Wales came after a trade mission was led by the Welsh Government to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last year.
Tom Daniel is the co-founder of the company and is originally from Bridgend but now lives in Austin, Texas. He met with Creative Wales, the creative agency for the Welsh Government, at the event to talk about their plans. You can get more Bridgend news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The Welsh Government’s Economy Futures Fund (EFF) will be providing £825,000 of financial support to the business which will reportedly be paid in instalments. The worldwide games market, which is anticipated to reach over $200 billion by 2025, has been highlighted by the Welsh Government as a sector with great growth potential in Wales.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “Rocket Science plans to establish a presence in Wales, to mirror its already successful operation in New York, with the Welsh studio positioned to support the company’s European clients. The new studio in Cardiff will work on the world’s biggest and most popular video games of today, played by millions of people daily, while also building and supporting AAA clients to create the the biggest and most ambitious games of tomorrow.”
Tom Daniel, who as well as being a co-founder is co-chief executive of Rocket Science, said: “We see Cardiff as a fantastic opportunity for Rocket Science to establish its European base and really take advantage of this fantastic city.
“We see Cardiff as a fantastic opportunity for Rocket Science to establish its European base and really take advantage of this fantastic city. For years, I have personally felt Cardiff has a huge amount of potential to offer to the global video games industry and I am over the moon that with the help of the Welsh Government and Creative Wales we have finally been to make this a reality.
“Living in the United States, but being from Wales myself, it makes me extremely proud to be opening this studio back home. I hope that we can play our part in enticing many more international games companies to come join us here in Cardiff in the not-too-distant future and make Cardiff the next great UK gaming hub, which I believe it can be.”
Announcing the news, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden said: “This significant investment will support the Welsh Government’s strategic objective of developing the games industry in Wales. This new studio by Rocket Science has the potential to be a real game-changer for the sector, creating 50 well-paid jobs, driving economic growth and further develop Wales’ growing gaming sector, providing high quality employment opportunities for current and future generations.
“The Welsh Government is committed to working in partnership with the industries of the future to create new, high quality skilled jobs, while supporting its staff already working in these sectors to further develop their skills. Wales is a great place to live, work, visit and invest in. So, I urge creative businesses to get in touch with Creative Wales to find out how we can support them build a successful enterprise here in Wales.”
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