Video game studio Black Shamrock is to create 80 jobs as it expands its operations at the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) in Dublin city centre.
This will bring its total headcount to 200 by the end of next year.
Founded in 2015 and now part of the Virtuos group, Black Shamrock is a co-development studio that specialises in RPG and action-adventure games for PCs and consoles.
The studio has worked on games such as The Outer Worlds, Grounded, Back 4 Blood, Destroy All Humans!, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and Pillars of Eternity.
Black Shamrock was bought by Virtuos, one of the world's largest independent game developers, in 2017 as part of its expansion to cater to an increased demand for co-development services globally.
Black Shamrock has also expanded its co-development capabilities and has collaborated with the biggest game studios around the world.
Lukas Codr, General Manager of Black Shamrock, said the company was rapidly expanding all areas of production to cater to the growing needs of its client partners.
"The game projects that we are currently developing are some of the most exciting in the world, so it is the perfect time to join us if you want to work on the most awe-inspiring AAA games and do some of the best work of your career," he added.
AAA games are video games that are created by a large studio, with big budgets and teams behind them.
Gilles Langourieux, CEO of Virtuos, said the country's pool of young, diverse and highly-skilled talent has empowered it to become a key global player in video game development.
"In 2017, we saw the opportunity to expand into Dublin in partnership with Black Shamrock, which has proven to be a good fit with Virtuos' company culture of innovation and creativity. Through Black Shamrock, we hope to continuously enable the long-term development of local talent and the expansion of the games industry in Ireland," he added.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said Black Shamrock expansion plans underline its commitment to Ireland by employing 200 people by the end of 2023.
"Black Shamrock is a global leader in game development, and having such a skilled and talented workforce at its disposal is no doubt a driving force behind this further investment," Mr Varadkar said.
"The news is particularly welcome at a time when other tech companies are announcing job losses. It also shows that the tax changes recently introduced for the digital gaming industry are working," he added.
Eileen Sharpe, IDA Ireland's Head of Growth Markets, said the country's combination of creative and technical talent makes it the perfect location from which to grow and develop the video gaming sector.
"IDA Ireland welcomes this investment, and the opportunity to create high-quality jobs for talented people in this exciting growth area," she added.
