1,000 reasons to join the game with Keywords Studios
Can you guess where the largest European office of the gaming giant Keywords Studios is located? Of course, in Katowice! The Silesian branch of the international company has just employed a 1000th person, which means that every tenth employee of this organization in the world works in our city!
The Keywords Studios Group will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. It all started with an office in Dublin and today the company boasts over 70 studios located in 23 countries on 5 continents. The organization offers comprehensive services for the biggest players in the gaming industry, such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft or Bandai Namco. The Katowice office was established on 9th July 2018 and is a home to three strong service lines: Functionality Quality Assurance (FQA), Player Support (PS) and Localization Quality Assurance (LQA).
"Keywords Studios in Poland is a fast-growing organization that within 3.5 years grew by 2500%, which is an amazing result. We attract young people from all over the world to join our forces and combine passion for games with work", points out Senior HR Manager Patrycja Szwed.
“Creative sectors of economy, such as esports and gaming, have been clearly present in the economic landscape of Katowice for several years, and the presence is visible not only in the context of the annual Intel Extreme Masters tournaments. The growth of esports and gaming industry reflects the implementation of the strategic development of Katowice until 2030, where innovation comes first among the priorities referred to as the "4i Concept." Innovation is certainly the symbol of the development of Keywords Studios and thanks to it the center in Katowice achieved such an important position in Europe. I congratulate the company on its rapid growth and I wish the entire team a good luck in achieving your next goals”, says Marcin Krupa, mayor of Katowice.
Marek Niszkiewicz, Player Support Manager, has been involved with the Silesian studio from the very beginning: "It’s been amazing to watch the growth, from the small team of 40 people we had at the very beginning to over 1,000 strong today. This fantastic journey has not been short of challenges, but it’s thanks to all the talented people who joined us for this ride, that we are here, they are our biggest asset. Continuing this amazing journey our PS teams will double down to make sure we keep delivering the best-in-class, player support solutions, to our clients and their players".
The largest number of foreigners work for the Localization Quality Assurance service line. "Our department was established back in June 2019 with 20 people. Currently, after 2.5 years in the business, the team has grown to 150 people where mostly native speakers are covering 26 languages. Knowing the language, the culture of the country, and paying high attention to detail but also passion for games is the key in our profession. With our talented staff across the board, we will continue the expansion in 2022 and beyond", announces Michał Dyrda, LQA Manager.
The Functionality Quality Assurance department boasts the largest number of employees. "Katowice is the only facility under the Keywords group that services FQA in Europe. As a result, the growth has been quick as European clients, used to awkward time zone issues, have quickly adapted the closer and more convenient service. We are now focusing on strengthening key aspects of our business, e.g. Internal Learning and Development. In addition to the standard ‘Level Up’ program, which supports career progression, the team at Katowice has developed several bespoke educational tools that make sure our staff are as professional as possible and constantly evolving to match the high demands of our industry", notes Chris Bewick, FQA Regional Director for Eurasia.
The employees of Keywords Studios in Katowice include not only computer game enthusiasts, there are also people employed in such departments as IT, HR, Administration, Business Controlling, Finance or Communication, which are the basis of every large company. "Employees are at the forefront of what we’re doing in support functions. We aim to ensure the ultimate well-being of our employees through carefully selecting our benefit providers, answering queries and supporting them every day to help them navigate within the office environment", adds Patrycja Szwed, who heads up the Human Resources department on a daily basis.
Keywordians – as the company's employees are called – share more than just a passion for gaming. Some of them play football with teams from other Silesian organizations in the Corporate Sports League after hours. Others eagerly engage in charitable activities, for years taking part in such initiatives as the finals of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, the Poland Business Run, the Noble Gift or recently – helping people affected by the situation in Ukraine. The company itself was not indifferent to the fate of refugees from beyond our Eastern border. Not only did it provide in-kind support to those affected, but also created favorable conditions for our neighbors to take up employment, not only by preparing job advertisements in Ukrainian, but also by offering a relocation allowance and dedicated psychological support.
Ukrainians, Poles and people of all nationalities, races, genders, religions or sexual orientations are welcome at Keywords Studios. The company is currently recruiting for dozens of positions with various levels of professional experience. The organization's growth is so dynamic that... it is running out of office space! That's why, as early as the turn of the 2nd and 3rd quarter of this year, Keywords Studios will be moving into Global Office Park, a modern office building in the center of Katowice.
