Certain Affinity
Certain Affinity is an Austin-based AAA action game studio providing co-development and lead-development services to major publishers including Microsoft, Activision, Wargaming, and Warner Bros., with 180+ employees across Austin and Toronto.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Certain Affinity does
Certain Affinity is a privately held AAA action game development studio founded in 2006 in Austin, Texas, by Max Hoberman, the former Multiplayer and Online Lead for the Halo series at Bungie. The studio operates as a co-development and lead-development partner for major game publishers, contributing engineering, design, art, production, audio, and QA capacity to blockbuster franchises. Across its history it has worked on more than 40 products spanning 17 franchises — most notably Halo (15+ years, 11 products, working back to Halo 2), Call of Duty (10 years, 6 products including World at War, Black Ops, Ghosts, and Modern Warfare remasters), World of Tanks (1.0 update and live content), Hogwarts Legacy (Creator Kit), and EXODUS (Archetype Entertainment / Wizards of the Coast). The company is an official Unreal Engine Approved Service Partner and retains the ability to build proprietary engines, demonstrated by its original IP Age of Booty.
The company's revenue model is professional services: multi-year, project-based contracts with enterprise game publishers, billed as team augmentation, co-development, or full lead-development engagements. Certain Affinity does not sell to consumers directly. It maintains two studios — Austin, Texas and Toronto, Canada — and as of October 2024 it employs 180+ people in the US and Canada, down from a peak of 250+ following a March 2024 restructuring that eliminated 25 US-based positions amid an industry-wide slowdown in co-development funding. In October 2024, Keywords Studios PLC (LSE: KWS) agreed to acquire the company for an undisclosed sum (upfront plus earn-out), with founder/CEO Max Hoberman and President/COO Paul Sams continuing to lead operations. Prior to the Keywords deal, Certain Affinity was bootstrapped and never raised institutional venture capital; it also received $15M across two 2017 rounds from Leyou Technologies and Capstar Partners, and additional disclosed equity capital.
Certain Affinity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Certain Affinity
- Legal name
- Certain Affinity, Inc.
- Website
- https://certainaffinity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Certain Affinity is an Austin-based AAA action game studio providing co-development and lead-development services to major publishers including Microsoft, Activision, Wargaming, and Warner Bros., with 180+ employees across Austin and Toronto.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Certain Affinity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Development Services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accessibility & Compliance Services (A11y Testing, Ratings, Privacy/Regulatory) (MPAFAKAO), Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where Certain Affinity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Certain Affinity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Co-Development Services: Primary revenue stream from providing co-development services to AAA publishers. The studio functions as an extension of partner development teams, providing engineers, artists, designers, and producers for multiplayer content, map development, and feature work on established franchises.
- Lead Development Services: Developing original IP while still supporting other developers. The studio has announced work on original FPS projects and contributed to EXODUS from Archetype Entertainment.
- Licensing/Royalties (Historical): Original IP development (e.g., Age of Booty, Crimson Alliance) generated revenue through publishing agreements with partners like Capcom. The studio retains potential to revisit original IPs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based service contracts for AAA game development |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Certain Affinity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Certain Affinity is an Austin-based game development studio that provides end-to-end AAA game development and co-development services to major video game publishers. The studio specializes in multiplayer design, audio & cinematic design, usability/QA, and live service support for blockbuster franchises including Halo, Call of Duty, World of Tanks, and Hogwarts Legacy. The company also develops original IP and provides lead development on new AAA titles such as EXODUS.
Product overview
Certain Affinity is a game development studio that operates primarily as a co-development partner for AAA action game franchises. Their core offering is end-to-end game development services including multiplayer design, audio & cinematic design, and QA/usability testing. The company has contributed to over 40 releases across 17 franchises including Halo, Call of Duty, World of Tanks, Hogwarts Legacy, DOOM, and others. They also developed original IPs including Age of Booty, Age of Booty: Tactics, and Crimson Alliance. The company has two studios in Austin, Texas and Toronto, Canada, and was acquired by Keywords Studios in October 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Co-Development Services
- Lead Development Services
- Multiplayer Design Services
- Audio & Cinematic Design Services
- Usability & QA Services
- Games-as-a-Service / Live Operations Support
- Hogwarts Legacy Creator Kit
- Age of Booty
- Age of Booty: Tactics
- Crimson Alliance
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ game releases across 17 world-class franchises
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Certain Affinity
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Certain Affinity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Certain Affinity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Avalanche Software / Warner Bros. GamescoreCertain Affinity developed the Hogwarts Legacy Creator Kit in close collaboration with Avalanche Software. This tool enables players to create and submit mods including new quests, dungeons, and character enhancements. Warner Bros. Games announced official PC modding support for Hogwarts Legacy with the Creator Kit available on Epic Games Store and mods managed through CurseForge platform.
- Archetype EntertainmentflagshipPartnership with Archetype Entertainment, a division of Wizards of the Coast (subsidiary of Hasbro), for development of EXODUS - a new AAA Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Role-Playing Game. The partnership was revealed at The Game Awards 2023. This represents Certain Affinity's work on a highly anticipated upcoming game from a major game company.
- Microsoft / 343 Industriesflagship15+ year co-development relationship on the Halo franchise. Certain Affinity has contributed to 11 Halo products including Halo Infinite, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 4, and multiple DLC map packs. The relationship began with Max Hoberman and other founders originally part of Bungie working on Halo 2.
- Activisionflagship10-year co-development relationship on the Call of Duty franchise. Certain Affinity developed multiplayer features, maps, and content for multiple titles including Call of Duty: World at War, Black Ops, Ghosts, and Modern Warfare remasters (6 products total).
- WargamingcorePartnership on World of Tanks franchise including the 1.0 update release. Certain Affinity provided support on remastering maps, rebuilding key maps with updated proprietary engine, UI overhaul, tank customization options, and building new seasonal game mode events (3 products).
- Epic GamescoreCertain Affinity is an official Unreal Engine Approved Service Partner. This status indicates technical expertise and certification in Unreal Engine development tools and workflows.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Certain Affinity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- High Moon Studios: Activision subsidiary co-developer supporting Call of Duty and other AAA franchises with multi-discipline full-stack development, directly comparable in business model and franchise exposure.
- Raven Software: Activision-owned studio supporting Call of Duty development and Warzone live operations. Direct peer as a publisher-owned co-development facility working on the same franchise types.
- Sledgehammer Games: Activision-owned co-developer of Call of Duty titles with deep FPS multiplayer expertise. Closely comparable as a studio specialized in AAA FPS development services.
- Treyarch: Activision-owned lead studio for Call of Duty: Black Ops and longtime Certain Affinity franchise collaborator. Direct peer working on the same Call of Duty franchise under a similar support-studio model.
- Beenox: Activision subsidiary focused on co-development across Call of Duty and other franchises. Direct peer given overlapping co-development services for AAA publishers and shared franchise history.
- High Voltage Software: Independent AAA co-development studio with decades of multi-franchise support experience, directly comparable as a mid-sized B2B co-development partner.
- Sumo Digital: UK-based co-development and lead-development studio for AAA publishers (Sega, Microsoft, Take-Two). Direct peer as a multi-studio AAA co-dev services provider, recently acquired.
- Hangar 13: Take-Two/2K-owned studio supporting Mafia and other AAA titles. Direct peer as a publisher-affiliated co-developer of single-player and action games.
- WB Games Montréal: Warner Bros.-owned studio supporting AAA console/PC titles including work on Hogwarts Legacy. Direct peer as a Warner Bros. preferred co-developer for AAA franchises.
Broad incumbents
- Keywords Studios: Parent company of Certain Affinity post-October 2024 acquisition, and the largest global games-services platform. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering co-development, QA, localization, and art services, of which Certain Affinity is now a subsidiary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Certain Affinity social profiles
Digital presenceCertain Affinity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Certain Affinity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Certain Affinity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Certain Affinity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Certain Affinity
What does Certain Affinity do?
Certain Affinity is an Austin-based game development studio that provides end-to-end AAA game development and co-development services to major video game publishers. The studio specializes in multiplayer design, audio & cinematic design, usability/QA, and live service support for blockbuster franchises including Halo, Call of Duty, World of Tanks, and Hogwarts Legacy. The company also develops original IP and provides lead development on new AAA titles such as EXODUS.
Is Certain Affinity a public or private company?
Certain Affinity is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Certain Affinity founded?
Certain Affinity was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Certain Affinity based?
Certain Affinity is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Certain Affinity make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Co-Development Services are the primary driver. The others are lead Development Services and licensing/Royalties (Historical).
Who are Certain Affinity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, Beenox, High Voltage Software, Sumo Digital, Hangar 13 and WB Games Montréal. Keywords Studios is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Certain Affinity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Certain Affinity.
What industry is Certain Affinity in?
Certain Affinity's product category is Video Game Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAA, AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console), with a secondary code of MPAFAKAO, Accessibility & Compliance Services (A11y Testing, Ratings, Privacy/Regulatory). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7990.