You’ve probably seen the name Digit Game Studios Dublin pop up if you’ve ever scrolled through the credits of a massive mobile strategy game or looked into why Ireland is suddenly a hub for tech giants. Most people think they’re just another satellite office for a giant American publisher. They aren't. Not exactly.
Honestly, the story of Digit is kinda the ultimate "local kids make it big" tale, but with way more spreadsheets and Klingons involved. Back in 2012, when the Irish economy was still dusting itself off, three guys—Richard Barnwell, David McGovern, and Fergus Duggan—decided Dublin needed a world-class game studio. They didn't want to make small indie puzzles. They wanted to build massive, "cross-platform" MMOs that would eat up people's free time (and, let's be real, their wallets) across the globe.
The King of the Realm Days
Before they were famous for sci-fi, they were all about high fantasy. Their first big hit was Kings of the Realm. It was a gamble. They spent about €3.5 million developing it, which sounds like a lot until you realize their competitors were spending ten times that.
The game was basically a 4X strategy title where you built bases and crushed enemies. What made it special? You could play it on your phone, then swap to your browser at work, and your progress stayed perfectly synced. This sounds standard now. In 2014? It was basically black magic.
"We work endlessly to create the illusion that as a player you’re exercising free will," Barnwell once said in a Dublin interview.
It’s a bit cynical, sure, but that’s the mobile gaming business. It’s about behavioral math as much as it is about art.
When Star Trek Changed Everything
Everything shifted in 2015 when they partnered with Scopely. If you aren't a gaming nerd, Scopely is the titan behind Monopoly GO! and WWE Champions. They saw what Digit was doing with strategy tech and basically said, "Hey, want to do this with the Star Trek license?"
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That project became Star Trek Fleet Command.
If you’ve walked through Dublin’s Silicon Docks lately, specifically near Prince’s Street South, you’ve passed the HQ. It’s an old 1700s grain store. It’s been totally refurbished because, well, the game made an insane amount of money. Within just four months of launching in late 2018, it pulled in over $50 million. By the time 2019 rolled around, Scopely decided they didn't just want to partner with Digit—they wanted to own them.
They bought the studio in May 2019. It made Digit the largest game developer in Ireland.
The Current State of Play in 2026
Fast forward to today, January 2026. The landscape has changed. Scopely itself was bought by Savvy Games Group for nearly $5 billion in 2023, which means the Dublin studio is now part of a massive global network backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
But does Digit still feel "Irish"?
Sorta. They’ve grown to nearly 90 employees in Dublin, but the struggles are real. If you’re a dev at Digit Game Studios Dublin right now, you’re likely feeling the squeeze of the Dublin housing crisis. It’s a recurring theme in the Irish tech scene: the tax credits (like the Digital Games Tax Credit offering 32% relief) are great for the companies, but the workers are spending half their salary on rent in the City Quay area.
What they're working on now
- Star Trek Fleet Command: Still the bread and butter. It’s evolved way beyond the Kelvin timeline. Now you've got Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and even Deep Space Nine content.
- New IP Research: There’s always talk about what’s next. While they keep things quiet, their job listings usually hint at "unannounced mid-core strategy titles."
- Live Ops: This is the unsexy part of gaming. It’s the daily grind of events, bug fixes, and keeping the "whales" (the high-spending players) happy.
Why Digit Matters to Dublin
Most people don't realize how much Digit paved the way. Before them, the Irish games industry was mostly small studios or localization hubs. Digit proved you could build a massive, top-grossing engine from scratch in a Dublin grain store.
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They didn't just build a game; they built a tech stack. Their use of Unity 2018.4 (and later versions), Python, and Amazon Redshift for data processing became a blueprint for other Irish startups. They proved that if you have the data and the "rock-solid tech," you can compete with the giants in Helsinki or Palo Alto.
Actionable Insights for Aspiring Devs
If you’re looking to get a foot in the door at Digit or a similar studio in Dublin, here’s the reality:
- Master the "Mid-Core": They aren't looking for "art for art's sake" indies. They want people who understand strategy, retention mechanics, and how to keep a player engaged for three years, not three hours.
- Cross-Platform is King: If you can't bridge the gap between mobile and PC architecture, you’re going to struggle.
- Data over Drama: Digit's success is built on behavioral analysis. Learn how to look at player heatmaps and churn rates. That's the language they speak.
- Watch the Tax Credits: If you’re starting your own studio in Ireland, look into the Digital Games Tax Credit (DGTC). It’s the reason studios like Digit can stay competitive despite the high cost of living in Dublin.
Digit isn't a "startup" anymore. It's a powerhouse. Whether you love or hate the free-to-play model, you can't deny that what they built in Dublin changed the Irish tech trajectory forever.
To stay competitive in the current market, focus your portfolio on live-service mechanics and scalable server architecture, as these remain the core pillars of the studio's recruitment focus heading into the mid-2020s.