Keywords Studios has announced the creation of FreeAnimal, an integrated organization that brings together seven of its previously independent creative agencies to act as a single, streamlined partner for video game developers, publishers, and related brands. This strategic consolidation is designed to simplify communication, reduce friction, and provide a more cohesive suite of services that spans the full spectrum of game‑related marketing and media production.
The seven entities that now operate under the FreeAnimal banner include the creative studios Ichi, KWM, Fire Without Smoke, and Gnet, as well as the media production houses TrailerFarm, Maverick, and Big Farmer. Collectively, these teams maintain a presence in major creative hubs such as Los Angeles, London, Brighton, Montreal, and Quebec City, giving the new agency a truly global footprint. By aligning their expertise, the firms can draw on a deep pool of talent that ranges from concept art and narrative design to high‑impact trailer production and full‑scale marketing campaigns. Each of the seven firms posted coordinated announcements on LinkedIn, framing the move as the beginning of a new chapter in which they operate as a single, unified creative agency.
While existing contracts with current clients remain untouched, the newly formed FreeAnimal will now be able to allocate resources across its entire network for any new project, leveraging the combined capabilities of all seven original businesses. This means that a publisher seeking a cinematic trailer can tap into TrailerFarm’s production know‑how while simultaneously accessing Ichi’s branding expertise and KWM’s strategic planning, all under one contract. John Rosenberg, the appointed global head of FreeAnimal, emphasized the ambition behind the merger: "Collectively, we work with the world's most ambitious gaming brands. 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 the agency’s guiding principle is what they call "The Right Team for Every Game" – a promise to assemble the most suitable specialists at the optimal moment to address each client’s unique challenge.
The formation of FreeAnimal is part of Keywords Studios’ broader evolution since its founding in 1998 as a modest outsourcing firm. The company began an aggressive acquisition strategy in 2014, starting with the purchase of voice‑production studio Liquid Violet. Over the ensuing years, Keywords has added roughly 70 companies to its portfolio, expanding its service catalogue to include audio production, art creation, localisation, quality assurance, functional testing, engineering, player support, trailer creation, marketing, and data analytics.
This extensive diversification has positioned Keywords as a one‑stop shop for many of the world’s leading game developers. In 2024, Keywords continued its expansion with the acquisition of Certain Affinity, a studio known for co‑developing the Halo franchise, and Wushu Studios, a work‑for‑hire studio that adds further depth to the company’s production capabilities. Earlier in the same year, the firm also merged two of its public‑relations agencies—Fortyseven Communications and Indigo Pearl—following the opening of Fortyseven’s new London office. These moves illustrate Keywords’ ongoing commitment to consolidating complementary capabilities under unified brands, thereby delivering more integrated solutions to clients.
FreeAnimal’s structure is designed to be highly adaptable. For example, a client launching a new multiplayer title might need narrative design, community outreach, and a series of localized marketing assets across several regions. In that scenario, the agency can pull narrative talent from Gnet, community specialists from Big Farmer, and localisation experts from KWM, coordinating their efforts through a single project manager. This eliminates the need for the client to negotiate separate agreements with each vendor, reduces turnaround times, and ensures a consistent creative vision throughout the campaign.
The agency also plans to invest in emerging technologies such as real‑time rendering, AI‑assisted content creation, and advanced data‑driven audience insights. By integrating these tools across its seven legacy firms, FreeAnimal aims to offer cutting‑edge solutions that keep pace with the rapidly evolving gaming market. The combined expertise in both traditional media production and modern digital marketing positions the agency to support everything from indie launches to blockbuster releases. Overall, FreeAnimal represents a significant step forward for Keywords Studios, consolidating a fragmented set of creative services into a singular, globally distributed entity.
By doing so, the company hopes to provide a more seamless experience for its clients, reduce operational overhead, and harness the collective creativity of its diverse teams to deliver compelling, high‑impact campaigns for the gaming industry worldwide.