Keywords Acquires Halo Co-Developer Sure Affinity

Keywords Studios has landed US developer Sure Affinity for a hidden sum.

The studio was founded in 2006 by a group of former Bungie employees and has specialized in the co-development of AAA games. Projects he has worked on include Hogwarts Legacy and Gotham Knights, as well as some titles in the Name of Accountability and Halo franchises, including Halo Endless.

Certain Affinity will continue to be led by its control group, including founder and CEO Max Hoberman and president and COO Paul Sams. Lately, the couple oversees a team of workers at 180 companies across the United States and Canada.

The purchase is subject to most situations and will come with an upfront cash acquisition, funded through Keywords’ existing revolving credit facility, and an earn-out feature based on Sure Affinity’s performance.

“In this difficult time in the market, we are thrilled to be able to offer stability and a supportive home for our team,” Hoberman said in a comment. “The honor that Key Frases has shown for our skill and tradition, along with the willingness to invest money in our expansion, is unheard of.

“Paul and I look forward to partnering with them to chart a course for a careful expansion of our core co-development activities, the refinement of our leader development capabilities, and championing the growth of the Create division.”

Again in April, the studio laid off 25 US-based employees, 10% of its workforce, with Hoberman citing “an industry-wide slowdown in funding new lead and co-development projects” and a “reluctance to third party investors” as the main causes of the verdict.

Keywords CEO Bertrand Bodson added: “We are very pleased to welcome Sure Affinity to the Keywords team. We greatly admire their track record and recognition. They bring a wealth of insight, experience and expertise to our Develop section, complementing our current talents and significantly increasing our presence in the United States and Canada.

“We look forward to partnering with Max, Paul and their team over the coming years to continue driving growth in our Create division and the broader business.”

Sure Affinity is Keywords’ second acquisition in 2024, following its acquisition of British developer Wushu Studios in August.