Keywords Studios has announced the creation of FreeAnimal, an integrated organisation that brings together seven of its previously separate creative agencies under a single umbrella. The purpose of this consolidation is to offer developers, publishers, and brand owners a single, streamlined point of contact for all of their creative and marketing needs. The newly formed group comprises the boutique creative agencies Ichi, KWM, Fire Without Smoke, and Gnet, as well as the media‑production studios TrailerFarm, Maverick and Big Farmer.
Together these entities operate from a network of locations that span Los Angeles, London, Brighton, Montreal and Quebec, giving the new agency a truly global footprint. All seven firms posted coordinated announcements on LinkedIn, signalling the launch of a new chapter in which they will operate as a unified creative agency. Existing client contracts remain untouched, while future projects will be sourced from the combined talent pool and capabilities of FreeAnimal. "Collectively, we work with the world's most ambitious gaming brands," said John Rosenberg, Global Head of FreeAnimal.
"By fusing seven agencies' perspectives, geographies, and experiences from across the games industry, we've created a wildly effective creative organisation that combines boutique strike teams with global scale." Rosenberg added that FreeAnimal follows a philosophy he calls "The Right Team for Every Game," which means assembling the appropriate specialists at the appropriate moment to address each client’s unique challenge. Keywords Studios itself was founded in 1998 as an outsourcing specialist and began expanding through acquisitions in 2014, starting with the voice‑production studio Liquid Violet. Since that first purchase, the company has added roughly 70 companies to its portfolio, extending its service offering across audio, art, localisation, quality assurance, functional testing, engineering, player support, trailer production, marketing, and data analytics. The most recent additions to Keywords' roster include Certain Affinity, a co‑developer on the Halo franchise, and Wushu Studios, a work‑for‑hire studio, both acquired in 2024.
Earlier in the year, Keywords also merged two of its public‑relations agencies—Fortyseven Communications and Indigo Pearl—after Fortyseven opened a new London office. FreeAnimal’s formation reflects a broader industry trend toward consolidation, where large service providers aim to deliver end‑to‑end solutions without requiring clients to juggle multiple vendors. By uniting creative strategy, asset production, media execution and performance marketing under one roof, the agency promises faster turnaround times, more cohesive brand narratives, and the ability to scale campaigns from indie titles to AAA releases. The agency’s geographic spread is designed to give clients access to local market insights while maintaining a consistent global brand voice.
In Los Angeles, the team can tap into Hollywood‑level production talent; in London and Brighton, they draw on a deep pool of European creative professionals; and in Montreal and Quebec, they leverage the strong gaming development ecosystems of Canada’s francophone and anglophone regions. FreeAnimal will continue to honor all existing agreements that its constituent agencies have with current clients, ensuring a seamless transition. At the same time, the agency is positioned to attract new business by offering a broader menu of services—ranging from concept art and narrative design to trailer editing, influencer outreach, and data‑driven marketing analytics—all coordinated by a single project lead. Industry observers note that the "right team" approach could be especially valuable for games that require rapid pivots during development, such as live‑service titles that need frequent content updates and marketing pushes.
By having a pre‑assembled roster of specialists—artists, copywriters, video editors, community managers, and data analysts—FreeAnimal can respond quickly to shifting market conditions or launch windows. In summary, FreeAnimal represents Keywords Studios' latest strategic move to consolidate its creative capabilities into a single, globally connected agency. The merger of Ichi, KWM, Fire Without Smoke, Gnet, TrailerFarm, Maverick and Big Farmer creates a versatile, scalable partner for any game‑related marketing challenge, while preserving the boutique expertise that made each individual firm successful. The agency’s commitment to "The Right Team for Every Game" signals a client‑centric focus that aims to deliver tailored, high‑impact creative solutions across the entire lifecycle of a game.