Keywords Studios

Largest external services provider to the video-game industry: localization, QA/game testing, audio, art, and player support. 13,000+ staff in 26 countries. Taken private by EQT in 2024.

Services Video Game Services / Localization / QA / Art & Audio
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Dublin, Ireland (global, 26 countries; many remote/freelance roles) HQ
13,000 employees
1998 founded

What is Keywords Studios?

Keywords Studios is the largest external services provider to the video-game industry. Game publishers and developers outsource huge amounts of non-core production to Keywords across the full game lifecycle: localization (translating games into dozens of languages) and localization QA, functional QA and game testing, audio and voice recording, game art and full co-development, player and customer support, community management, and marketing and trailers. Its clients include most of the largest publishers, such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Tencent, and its work has touched titles like Fortnite and League of Legends. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, employing more than 13,000 people across 26 countries. Keywords was listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market (ticker KWS) for years before being taken private in November 2024 by the private-equity firm EQT, alongside CPP Investments and Temasek, in a deal valuing it at roughly $2.8B (£25.5 per share). Bertrand Bodson serves as CEO. For job seekers, Keywords is one of the biggest sources of remote and freelance work in gaming: game testers (functional and localization QA), translators and localizers, and player-support agents are hired in high volume across many countries.

Mission & values

Help video-game creators make better games and reach players everywhere by providing the localization, testing, audio, art, and support services studios need at global scale.

Qualifications

Keywords hires two broad populations. (1) High-volume games-production and support roles, which is where most remote and freelance opportunities sit: game testers (functional QA and localization QA / LQA), translators and localization specialists (paid for language pairs), player-support and customer-experience agents, community moderators, and audio and art contributors. Many of these are entry-level-friendly (passion for games plus attention to detail and language skills matter more than a degree), and are hired per-project or as fixed-term or freelance contracts; remote availability and pay vary by country because Keywords runs delivery centers worldwide. (2) Corporate, technical, and studio roles: software and tools engineering, project and program management, studio leadership, business development, finance, and G&A, more often anchored to a studio location or hybrid. Application flow lives at keywordsstudios.com/careers (and its studio-brand career sites). For QA and localization roles, native or near-native fluency in the target language and a genuine understanding of games are the core requirements.

Leadership

B

Bertrand Bodson

Chief Executive Officer

CEO of Keywords Studios, leading the company through its 2024 take-private by EQT, CPP Investments, and Temasek. Background spanning digital and technology leadership before joining Keywords.

Hiring process

  1. 1

    Apply at keywordsstudios.com/careers

    Browse game testing, localization, player support, art/audio, and corporate roles across Keywords studios and delivery centers.

  2. 2

    Recruiter / language screen

    Confirms role fit, language fluency (for localization/QA/support), location and remote eligibility, and availability. Testing roles may include a games/attention-to-detail assessment.

    About 7 days

  3. 3

    Skills assessment

    QA: a functional or localization testing exercise. Translation: a sample translation. Support: a scenario evaluation. Technical/studio: a role-specific interview.

    About 7 days

  4. 4

    Hiring manager interview

    Conversation with the project or studio lead who owns the role.

    About 7 days

  5. 5

    Offer and onboarding

    Offer with location-based pay and contract type (per-project, fixed-term, freelance, or permanent), then project onboarding.

    About 7 days

Funding

StageAcquired
Investors
EQT CPP Investments Temasek

Awards & recognition

  • Taken private by EQT, CPP Investments, and Temasek (~$2.8B) · 2024

    Keywords Studios

  • Largest external services provider to the video-game industry · 2026

    Keywords Studios

Company information

Frequently asked questions

What does Keywords Studios do?
It is the largest external services provider to the video-game industry, offering localization, functional and localization QA/game testing, audio and voice, game art and co-development, player support, and marketing to game publishers and developers.
Does Keywords hire remote and freelance workers?
Yes, in high volume. Game testers (functional and localization QA), translators and localizers, and player-support agents are hired across many countries, often as per-project, fixed-term, or freelance contracts. Remote availability varies by role and country.
Do I need experience to be a game tester?
Often not much. QA and localization-QA roles are frequently entry-level-friendly: a genuine understanding of games, strong attention to detail, and (for LQA) native or near-native fluency in the target language matter more than a degree.
Who owns Keywords Studios?
It was taken private in November 2024 by the private-equity firm EQT, alongside CPP Investments and Temasek, in a deal worth roughly $2.8B. It was previously listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (ticker KWS).
Where is Keywords based?
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with more than 13,000 employees across studios and delivery centers in 26 countries.
What does the pay look like?
It varies a lot by role and country. Testing and support roles pay local-market hourly rates (entry-level, lower in offshore markets); localization is often per-word; corporate and studio roles follow local bands. Confirm per posting.

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