If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Rockstar buys Ruffian Games, rebrands to Rockstar Dundee

Companies have been working together on unspecified titles for the last year

Rockstar Games has acquired Crackdown 2 developer Ruffian Games, and rebranded the studio as Rockstar Dundee.

As spotted by TheGamer, the acquisition appears to have gone through as recently as October 1 of this year per a Companies House listing noting the name change and shift of control.

The two companies have been working together for at least the last year according to a job listing for engineers to develop "unspecified titles".

Ruffian Games was established in 2009 with veterans from Climax, DMA Design, and RealTime Worlds, including developers who had worked on the original Crackdown, Project Gotham Racing, Fable 2, and Grand Theft Auto.

Update, October 14, 2020: Rockstar confirmed the acquisition this morning with a press release including a statement from Ruffian co-founder Billy Thompson

"We are incredibly excited to be joining the Rockstar team," Thompson said. "Not only do we have the opportunity to work on some of the most successful entertainment properties in the world, but Rockstar's investment in our studio is a great sign for the continued expansion of game development here in Scotland."

Additional reporting by Brendan Sinclair.

Related topics
Author
Rebekah Valentine avatar

Rebekah Valentine

Senior Staff Writer

Rebekah arrived at GamesIndustry in 2018 after four years of freelance writing and editing across multiple gaming and tech sites. When she's not recreating video game foods in a real life kitchen, she's happily imagining herself as an Animal Crossing character.