Mayor welcomes games industry acquisition for Derry duo
16 April 2020
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Michaela Boyle has welcomed news that the videogame developer behind the upcoming Hytel, Hypixel Studios, is to establish its headquarters in Derry, as part of its acquisition by major US developer and publisher Riot Games.
The Mayor said news of the acquisition was fantastic news for the local economy and extended her congratulations to local enterpreneurs Aaron Donaghey and Sean McCafferty on securing the deal.
She said it was good to have a positive news story in the current COVID-19 emergency situation.
She said: “This is a hugely significant announcement for the city and district and for our local economy at a particularly difficult time. The games industry is huge, and to have a company of this stature establishing itself in the city is fantastic news. I would like to acknowledge the work done by Council’s business team in supporting Aaron and Sean throughout this process and Council looks forward to build on that relationship and assist them as they establish their base here and start recruiting people for what will be high-end quality jobs.
“This is another example of the wealth of local talent and entrepreneurship we have here in our Council area and I am delighted that the hard work and commitment by these two local business people has been acknowledged. I am delighted that they have not forgotten where they have come from and have chosen to reinvest in their home city. This is a really good story and I wish them every success for the future.”
Kevin O’Connor, Head of Business for Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “Derry City and Strabane District Council have been delighted to coordinate with Hypixel Studios over the last number of months. The selection of the North West is a further endorsement of the City/Region as a key investment location. The availability of a highly skilled talent pool, world-class digital connectivity and unparalleled quality of life have obviously featured heavily in this decision. This is an exciting development for the City providing well-paid jobs in a growing sector of the economy “