Secret 6 just announced that it has been acquired by Catalis Group, a UK-headquartered global video game and entertainment group.
Secret 6 is likely a familiar name for gamers in the Philippines as they are one of the go-to support studios for various AAA developers. For instance, Secret 6 helped develop games such as The Last of Us Part 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.
Regarding the acquisition, Dominic Wheatley, CEO of Catalis, stated: “We are delighted that Secret 6 and Ron have joined the Catalis family. Secret 6 has a great reputation in the industry for producing high-quality work and their impressive list of clients speaks for itself. Ron brings with him a wealth of leadership and game experience; we all look forward to working with him and supporting Secret 6’s continued growth”.
“We are thrilled to be joining Catalis, a group highly regarded for their excellent service offerings. We look forward to collaborating with Catalis to accelerate the group’s growth, enhance and expand the services we offer to our clients, and provide exciting new opportunities for our talented teams in Manila and Madrid,” said Ron Schaffner of Secret 6.
Finally, Testronic’s CEO, Mike Betti, finished by saying: “Secret 6 is a fantastic addition to our group. Ron and his talented team have built a brilliant business and we cannot wait to contribute to their story going forward. Moving into art and game development is a natural next step for Catalis, and it is great that we can expand our footprint to the Philippines and Spain, two fast-growing video game hubs with an abundance of talent”.
The studio was founded in 2005 by Ron Shcaffner, a games industry veteran. It employs 300 people in its two home bases of Manila and Madrid; and it specializes in 3D art for AAA titles, 2D art, full game development and quality assurance.
Despite the acquisition, Schaffner will continue to run Secret 6 as CEO. Though Catalis along with service companies Testronic and Giant Interactive will aid in the studio’s future projects.