Global developer FunPlus establishes a mobile game development studio in Barcelona, expanding the scope of work of FunPlus Barcelona.

FunPlus is expanding the role of its Barcelona arm in its global operations, adding mobile game development on top of its already existing publisher status, which was originally established in 2019. FunPlus is reinforcing its commitment to establishing a presence in Barcelona, dubbed as Europe's future hub of technology and gaming.

“Barcelona is a world-renowned center of excellence for talent in the mobile and video game space and we are honored to expand FunPlus’ commitment to the city with our ambition to develop new games that accompany the company’s strategic ambitions,” says FunPlus VP of Europe and LATAM Enric Cabestany. “This is just the first step in a very exciting journey that will allow us to grow as a team, recruit for key roles and find new opportunities to perform strongly and make Barcelona shine in the coming years.”

To facilitate this expansion, FunPlus elevated its former Director of Product Development Felipe Mata to the role of VP of Product. The recent acquisition of industry veteran Jacob Kruger as its new Director of User Acquisition is also in line with this expansion.

To achieve its goals, FunPlus will be working closely with the local Barcelona government to establish the strategy and priorities for the development venture, with the intention of tapping into Barcelona's rich talent poo. FunPlus is also kicking off “Career Starter,” a program that aims to offer working students and interns the opportunity to access their first job experience and start their careers in the gaming industry.

This move by FunPlus is strongly supported by Catalan video game association DeviCAT. In a statement, DeviCAT showed its support:

“Video games are one of the sectors with the greatest potential in and for Catalonia, especially with regard to the creation of youthful and qualified employment,” says DeviCAT Secretary General Iván Fernández. “Thanks to the drive of Catalan companies, our country has become the most attractive specialized talent hub for a sector with unstoppable growth. The ambition of our partner FunPlus to grow its presence here is another strong example of this.”

FunPlus' decision to invest more in the region isn't at all surprising. After all, Catalonia is the main motor in the video game ecosystem in Spain, with 440 registered companies and €1,105 million revenue in 2020. The region represents 50% of the national revenue, equivalent to 3.3% of the entire European industry. Catalonia has, by far, the European region that attracts the greatest number of investments and projects in this sector.

Partly as a result of this, FunPlus Barcelona has been steadily growing in size over the past three years – the latest growth being the establishment of the mobile game development studio. Since then, the company has attracted artists, technology, and gaming professionals in the Barcelona region, working together under the leadership of Cabestany. FunPlus aims to utilize its manpower resources in developing more games, like the ones it has previously published which includes State of Survival, King of Avalon, and Guns of Glory.

FunPlus is also the owner of the esports organization FunPlus Phoenix, a global esports organization with teams in League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and VALORANT. Just some of FunPlus Phoenix's crowning achievements was its 2019 League of Legends World Championship win, and placing fourth in the 2022 VALORANT Champions.