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Virtuos buys animation specialist CounterPunch Studios

Date Type Companies involved Size
October 14th, 2020 acquisition Virtuos Not disclosed
Virtuos buys animation specialist CounterPunch Studios

Development and services firm Virtuos has bought LA-based animation specialist CounterPunch Studios and is setting up a new outpost in Canada.

The Singapore-based company has announced the acquisition via its website but hasn't put a figure on the deal. The animation outfit is best known for its work on the likes of The Last of Us Part 2, Doom and Mortal Kombat 11, as well as the Call of Duty franchise and Warner Bros' Middle-earth series.

The studio will be staying under the leadership of co-founder and GM, Kay Arutyunyan (pictured).

“From our first meetings, we knew that we’d found a home with Virtuos," she said.

"Both in terms of our skills, and our company culture and values, the team at CounterPunch quickly saw how we could complement and grow within Virtuos, while stepping up our ambitions to work on the most exciting projects with the biggest players in the industry. We’re proud to be industry leaders in our field of character modeling, rigging and animation, and can’t wait to bring our unique approach and tools to Virtuos’ partners around the world. We’re excited to begin our next chapter as a part of the Virtuos family.”

Virtuos' North American GM Jake Digennaro added: “CounterPunch is a fantastic addition to the Virtuos global family. As well as adding exactly the type of complementary skills and services we’ve been seeking to expand, they’re also the embodiment of our core values. Like us, they take the time to invest in their people and understand the critical role that training and mentorship play within in our industry, particularly when nurturing new talent, all while bringing a feverish passion to their craft. With their innately open, honest, and collaborative spirit, the team at CounterPunch will fit in perfectly here at Virtuos.”

Meanwhile, Virtuos is opening a brand new studio in Canada's Montréal. This new office is going to be focused on concept art. At the time of writing, ten people work in this branch, with Virtuos having the intention of doubling this headcount in the next year.

“We’re so happy to welcome CounterPunch Studios and our new team in Montreal to the Virtuos family," CEO Gilles Langourieux said.

"Expanding our presence in North America is an important step in our mission to provide the best talent and the best technology to our partners around the world. Kay and her team provide a level of expertise and energy which we can’t wait to bring to our partners.”


PCGamesInsider Contributing Editor

Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.