Mar 15, 2024

L purchased by Singapore gaming giant Virtuoso.A.Based on real-time VFX Studio Beyond-FX.

Los Angeles real-time vfx studio Beyond-FX was acquired by Singapore-based video game giant Virtuos.Virtuos is looking to expand its portfolio to include real-time vfx, an increasingly sought-after skill set."We need a blend of artistry and technical finesse."

Beyond was founded in 2015 by Keith Guerrette, who continues to lead the studio as General Manager. Guerrette is an artist executive whose Vfx credits include works from blockbuster games such as The Last of Us and Uncharted. 彼はまたの創設者でもありますrealtimevfx.com An online community where vfx artists exchange ideas and advice.

In the release, Guerrette said:

We leverage Virtuos' global expertise and network of talented studios to deliver groundbreaking work and make clients around the world even more exciting. It is our common vision with Virtuos to shape the future of co-development in gaming. Working with Virtuos' passionate team, Beyond-FX helps define new industry standards that focus on delivering quality service through strong partnerships, being efficient through flexible collaboration, and creating great games by pushing the artistic boundaries of what is possible with the game engine.

The Los Angeles-based outfit currently employs 39 real-time vfx professionals. The company has vfx work on more than 100 video games, including Legends of Runeterra: Empires of The Ascended (pictured above) Mortal Kombat1, Valorant, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, God of War and Rocket League.

Launched in 2004, Virtuos is one of the world's largest independent video game developers with offices in Asia, North America and Europe. The company employs more than 3,700 full-time workers worldwide and works on more than 1,500 games, including AAA franchises such as Tomb Raider, Horizon, Halo, Ratchet and Crank, Devil May Cry, Devil's Souls and Call of Duty.

The North American Regional Director of Virtuos said:

Keith and his team are indisputably passionate about their craft and, like us, are heavily invested in education and the development of new technologies. We look forward to working with Beyond-FX, the Counterpunch team and Virtuos Montreal to expand and deepen our services to our valued partners in North America, our largest market to date.

As real-time vfx becomes a major part of game development, it is expected that there will be more trading in the gaming industry like Beyond acquisition in the near future. In a Linkedin article published last year, skilled animation, live action and video game vfx artist Dushyant Kashyap went into great detail to explain the growing importance of vfx in the video game industry:

The intersection of vfx and gaming is an exciting and rapidly evolving industry driving innovation in both industries. It is a space where you can relax and relax. As game developers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of graphics and special effects, VFX studios are helping to bring their vision to life in an increasingly realistic and immersive way.