Side opens Chengdu studio, acquires Roboto Entertainment

By Priya Raman

Side has opened a studio in Chengdu and acquired Chengdu-based art outsourcing provider Roboto Entertainment, naming founder Andrea Cordella its global head of art. Cordella will also lead the new office, which will work closely with Side’s locations in Shanghai and teams across the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and Asia.

Established in Chengdu in 2014, Roboto specializes in environment and world-building art and has worked on AAA and AA games across console and mobile.

Cordella said: "I know from the moment I met Deborah and the team at Side that the company aligned with the values my team and I hold dear." He said the team strives for excellence and holds creativity close to its work, adding that it would "continue to deliver that creativity to every brief" while collaborating with teams worldwide and supporting developers on a range of projects.

Cordella also described games as the only art medium in which "the consumer plays an equal role to the creator."

Side CEO Deborah Kirkham said: "When half the titles at Gamescom’s Opening Night Live this year were made in China, the world notices." She called China "one of the most important markets for our industry" and said she was fiercely proud of the team there being "hungry for more work, so we’re going to grow."

Kirkham framed the acquisition as a "double-down on a winning regional strategy," combining Cordella’s leadership, the Chengdu studio and established environment and world-building talent.

What changes for studios and developers?

For studios and developers, the change is organizational: Roboto’s environment and world-building operation now sits under Side, while Cordella oversees art globally and runs the Chengdu studio. The acquired portfolio spans AAA and AA console and mobile projects, giving Side an established specialist team inside the group.

The Chengdu operation’s remit extends beyond local production because it will collaborate with Side’s Shanghai locations and international teams. Cordella’s appointment also connects the acquired studio’s artistic leadership with Side’s wider organization rather than leaving Roboto’s specialist work as a separate outsourcing operation.

Side’s wider Asia footprint

• Earlier this year, Side opened a new Taipei studio after eight years of operating in Taiwan. The studio created 79 jobs, and the company described the move as a "strategic move."
• This summer at Gamescom, Side expanded its quality assurance (QA) services through a partnership with Modl.ai. Both companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), binding for six months, to develop an AI-enabled QA system.

Side CCO Martin McBride told GamesIndustry.biz that the MOU "effectively brings the best of what Side has to offer and the best of what Modl.ai has together in a unique solution." He described AI-enabled QA as one of the industry’s "crown jewel, holy grail experiences," adding: "No one’s really found a great solution for that. We think we have."

The China market backdrop

Niko Partners estimates China’s games revenue will rise 4% to $53.9 billion in 2026, after the market exceeded $50 billion for the first time last year. The firm expects China’s player base to reach 769 million by 2030.

Niko Partners attributes the revenue and player increases to "stronger-than-expected performance from both newly launched titles and legacy evergreen games." Those estimates underpin the commercial case for Side’s expansion, although they do not quantify how much new work the acquisition will bring.

Watch the end of Side and Modl.ai’s six-month binding MOU for a decision on AI-enabled QA, and Niko Partners’ $53.9 billion revenue estimate for 2026 as the commercial benchmark for Side’s China expansion.