Side acquires Roboto Entertainment and opens Chengdu studio
Roboto founder Andrea Cordella becomes global head of art and studio head for Side's new Chengdu office, working with the firm's Shanghai teams.
Games services provider Side has acquired art outsourcing company Roboto Entertainment and opened a new studio in Chengdu, China, the company said on October 26, 2026, according to gamesindustry.biz. Roboto founder Andrea Cordella has been appointed global head of art at Side and will also serve as studio head of the Chengdu office.
The Chengdu studio will work closely with Side's existing Shanghai locations and its teams across the Americas, EMEA and Asia. Side CEO Deborah Kirkham leads the company, which provides art and other development services to game studios.
Roboto Entertainment was founded by Cordella in 2014 and specialises in environment and world-building art for AAA and AA games on console and mobile.
The new Chinese studio follows Side's opening of a Taipei office earlier this year, after eight years of operations in Taiwan, a move that created 79 jobs. This summer, Side also expanded its quality assurance services through a partnership with Modl.ai, announced at Gamescom, signing a six-month binding memorandum of understanding on an AI-enabled QA system.
Quick answers
Who is the studio head of Side's Chengdu office?
Andrea Cordella, founder of Roboto Entertainment, who was also appointed global head of art at Side.
What does Roboto Entertainment do?
It is an art outsourcing provider founded in 2014 that specialises in environment and world-building art for AAA and AA games on console and mobile.
Which Side locations will the Chengdu studio work with?
It will work closely with Side's existing Shanghai locations and teams in the Americas, EMEA and Asia.