Cork video game studio urges greater backing after global success of 'Ready or Not'
Ready or Not was released internationally by Cork studio Void Interactive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox on July 15, having been released initially in 2023 on Windows for PC.
Sales of the first-person shooter game, which sells for around €50, exceeded 2m in the two weeks following its release on console, taking its total global sales to 11m.
First established more than seven years ago by Julio Rodriguez, Ryan David Post, and Stirling Rank, Void Interactive is based in the National Esports Centre on the South Mall in Cork City, employing 70 people in total, who work remotely.
Void Interactive CFO Philip Nathan, COO Stirling Rank, and CEO Julio Rodriguez celebrate the success of their first-person shooter game 'Ready or Not' with David Cronin at the National Esports Centre in Cork. Picture: Gerard McCarthy
Its flagship product, Ready or Not, is a tactical first-person shooter game set in the fictional dystopian US city of Los Sueños, depicting a modern-day world in which Swat police units are called to defuse hostile and confronting situations.
Following the significant uptake in the game so far, the company is actively looking to expand its teams, offering remote positions for developers spanning across graphic design, animation and programming.
'We want to hire as many people as we can in Ireland,' said Philip Nathan, chief financial officer of Void Interactive.
Speaking on the release of the game for console, Mr Nathan said: 'Surpassing the 2m milestone has been an incredible success for us. It can be so hard to estimate, as it is so reliant on the consumer market and how it reacts.
'Our lowest estimation for the release was 800,000, while our highest estimate was 2.75m, which we are on track to exceed very soon, with demand remaining strong.'
'Ready or Not' was released internationally by Cork-based Void Interactive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox on July 15, having been released initially on Windows for PC in 2023. Picture: VoidInteractive.net
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Nathan says the company's establishment in Cork was an easy decision, noting: 'The founders always knew this would be a global business and we needed a strong area to facilitate this.
'Our founders are from Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand and wanted an English-speaking city with strong European ties.
"They also didn't want a capital city, which made Cork the perfect choice for the company."
While its staff are fully remote, Void Interactive is based in the National Esports Centre, located in the Republic of Work on South Mall.
Officially opened in March 2025 following €1m investment in gaming infrastructure, the National Esports Centre created 10 new jobs along with further positions in gaming, media, and technology expected as the centre continues to expand.
The hub is used by professional eSports athletes, aspiring gamers, developers, gaming researchers, and students and is also home to WYLDE, Ireland's first professional Esports academy, which was founded in Cork in 2021.
Gamer Karina Shastak, Steve Daly of the National Esports Centre and Philip Nathan of Void Interactive with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Wylde Esports player Ciarán Walsh at the official opening of the Esports Centre in Cork in March. Picture: Gerard McCarthy
Recent years have seen Cork City become an epicentre for Ireland's growing video game industry, but despite a strong ecosystem, Mr Nathan says more needs to be done for Ireland to realise the opportunities available within the sector.
'Ireland has a thriving film and TV industry, which offers everything from heavy supports to generous tax breaks. While this is great, the video game industry should get similar attention.
'The video game industry is valued significantly higher than TV and film, and is only growing larger.
'The current generation of retirees is the first to grow up with mainstream video games, which means a growing customer base with the industry now targeting every generation.
'There is so much potential for the Irish Government, universities, and Enterprise Ireland to get behind this and allow for Ireland to become a video game hotspot in Europe."
The global videogame market is projected to grow by 3.4% to $189bn (€165bn) in 2025, compared with last year's growth of 3.2%, according to a report by video game research specialists Newzoo, with this projected growth reflecting concrete changes, hardware cycles, pricing trends, install base growth, and title pipelines.
'We've seen this happen in Cork before, where one company comes and a whole industry follows,' Mr Nathan said.
'In 2005, McAfee set up here, and it wasn't long before the city became a hub for cybersecurity companies. The Government was quick to take notice, and universities altered their offerings to cater for the heightened demand for computer science graduates. There is an opportunity here to do that again and replicate previous success.
'I've reached out to universities and government agencies, offering sponsorships and other things. I said, whatever they wanted, we would give it to them. I never got a response.
'I hope that changes in time, and people begin to see the opportunity that lies in front of them.'
Looking forward, Mr Nathan says sales of Ready or Not are expected to total 5m by the end of 2025, with a further 2m to 3m sales anticipated over the next five months, and the company also looking to add extra levels to the popular game in the near future.
'We are constantly investing in ways to improve the game and user experience,' says Mr Nathan.
'And while we do that, we are also looking to diversify our offerings and develop new games, while always keeping Ready or Not our main focus and at the core of our business.
'There are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline, and we're looking at a very busy few years ahead.'
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