The Studios Behind the Scenes: Game Development Outsourcing in 2025

The gaming industry has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar market, and studios everywhere are under pressure to deliver bigger, better, and faster. But building a game entirely in-house is rarely practical. From art and animation to porting and QA, outsourcing has become a vital strategy for studios looking to scale without breaking the bank.

Below, we’ve highlighted ten of the top outsourcing companies making waves in 2025. At the top of our list is Plugg Tech, a nearshore staffing powerhouse that’s helping U.S. studios tap into the deep well of Latin American engineering talent.

1. Plugg Tech — Nearshore Outsourcing Solution for Game Studios

Headquarters: United States & Latin America
Services: Nearshore staff augmentation, engineering teams, QA, backend support, and more. 

Plugg Tech isn’t your traditional game art studio. Instead, they’re a staffing and outsourcing partner that connects U.S. game studios with top-tier Latin American developers, designers, and engineers. For studios needing flexible teams that can ramp up or down depending on the project phase, Plugg is a perfect fit.

• Shared Time Zones: Latin American teams work in real-time with U.S. studios.

• Cultural Fit & English Fluency: Smooth collaboration across distributed teams.

• Full Service: Beyond hiring, Plugg manages payroll, compliance, and consultant care.

• Scalability: Quickly spin up teams for engineering, live-ops, or QA support.

Best for: U.S. studios that want cost-effective scaling with reliable engineering talent close to home.

2. Room 8 Group — Full-Cycle Production

Headquarters: Ukraine, Global Presence

Room 8 Group has established itself as one of the most versatile outsourcing giants. With expertise in art production, animation, porting, and co-development, they’ve worked with leading publishers to deliver everything from mobile hits to AAA console titles.

• Trusted partner to Ubisoft, EA, and Activision

• Services include game art, VFX, and porting

• 13+ years of industry experience

Best for: AAA publishers looking for large-scale art and porting solutions.

3. Kevuru Games — Unreal & Unity Experts

Headquarters: Ukraine

Kevuru Games has become a go-to partner for both indie studios and AAA publishers. They specialize in Unreal Engine and Unity development, with strong teams in art, animation, AR/VR, and co-development.

• Partners with Epic Games, FoxNext, and EA

• Over 400 employees across multiple disciplines

• Recognized for 2D/3D art production

Best for: Studios needing engine specialists for fast prototyping and delivery.

4. Pingle Studio — Co-Development & Porting

Headquarters: Ukraine

Pingle Studio brings 400+ professionals to the table, working on co-development, game porting, QA, and art. They’ve contributed to popular titles such as Hello Neighbor, Life is Strange, and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed.

• Full-cycle development and testing support

• Specializes in porting to multiple platforms

• Recognized for quality assurance

Best for: Studios that need help bringing existing IPs to new platforms.

5. Keywords Studios — Global Powerhouse

Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland

Keywords Studios is one of the largest outsourcing players in the world, with over 70+ studios in 20+ countries. They offer nearly every service imaginable—art, engineering, localization, QA, audio, and marketing.

• Industry leader for AAA support

• Trusted by nearly every major publisher

• Massive resource pool of thousands of specialists

Best for: Publishers who want a single global partner for multiple services.

6. Virtuos — AAA Development at Scale

Headquarters: Singapore, Worldwide Offices

Virtuos is another industry heavyweight known for co-development and art outsourcing on blockbuster franchises. Their teams have supported projects for Ubisoft, Square Enix, and 2K Games.

• 20+ years of experience

• Expertise in art, co-dev, and porting

• 3,500+ developers worldwide

Best for: Studios that want AAA co-development support with global reach.

7. Starloop Studios — Creative Full-Cycle Partner

Headquarters: Spain (Global Operations)

Starloop provides end-to-end development, including live-ops, AR/VR, game art, and QA. They’re popular among mobile and indie studios for their agility and cost-effective models.

• Specialists in mobile and AR/VR development

• Strong live-ops and post-launch support

• Flexible team structures

Best for: Indies and mobile studios seeking budget-friendly full-cycle support.

8. Winking Corporation — Art Outsourcing Leader in Asia

Headquarters: Shanghai, China

Winking is known for producing art and assets for major AAA titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty: Black Ops. They bring a highly skilled art team to global publishers.

• Over 400 professionals in art outsourcing

• Worked on Ubisoft and Activision titles

• End-to-end art and animation

Best for: Publishers looking for AAA-quality art outsourcing.

9. The Knights of Unity — Unity Specialists

Headquarters: Poland

As the name suggests, this studio is laser-focused on Unity development. They’ve helped create and refine mechanics, features, and prototypes for both indie and AA publishers.

• Pure Unity expertise

• Strong co-dev and prototyping teams

• European outsourcing hub

Best for: Studios that need Unity feature development or prototyping.

10. GlobalStep — QA & Live Ops Experts

Headquarters: Dallas, Texas, with worldwide delivery centers

GlobalStep focuses heavily on quality assurance, localization, and live-ops. With 1,500+ experts across multiple continents, they’ve become a trusted partner for publishers managing complex releases.

• Strong emphasis on testing and player support

• End-to-end QA services for AAA games

• Provides live-ops and localization

Best for: Publishers needing QA at scale and long-term live-ops support.

Comparison Table

Here’s a quick snapshot of the companies featured above:

How to Choose the Right Outsourcing Partner

Choosing the right outsourcing partner depends on your studio’s goals:

• Scaling fast, but still need Quality? Go nearshore with Plugg Tech for flexible staffing, quality talent, and white-glove support.

• AAA support? Keywords and Virtuos have global reach.

• Indie/mobile? Starloop provides budget-friendly solutions.

• Art heavy? Winking and Kevuru excel in asset production.

• QA and live-ops? GlobalStep offers long-term support.

Final Thoughts

Outsourcing in game development is no longer just about saving money—it’s about speed, specialization, and scalability. Whether you’re looking for full production support or simply need to expand your engineering capacity, these companies represent some of the best options available in 2025.

If you’re a U.S. studio that values real-time collaboration, cultural fit, and cost-efficient scaling, Plugg Tech should be at the top of your list.

Looking for the right partner in 2025? Plugg Tech makes hiring top Latin American developers seamless. Let’s start the conversation.