The Passionate People of Malaysia’s Gaming Industry

One of Malaysia’s leading game art and animation studios, Passion Republic shared their personal and raw experiences working in the creative entertainment industry for over a decade. This homegrown studio has contributed to numerous award-winning games worldwide, including Spider-Man, Uncharted, The Last of Us, League of Legends, Elden Ring, Diablo, and more.

“We started Passion Republic with the goal of retaining the passion of young artists to build a vibrant and independent community,” said the founder of Passion Republic, Ng Aik Sern who is an alumnus of The One Academy.

Inspired by his love for animation arts, many graduates of The One Academy have followed in his footsteps and joined his team. They shared their challenges, experiences working as a team, and achievements in creating games.

Despite setting off on a passion-driven path, starting a game production company from scratch was not easy. Aik Sern mentioned there were times when projects had to be completed within just 3 days or 3 weeks, making these periods extremely hectic, with the team working extra hours almost every day.

It is in times like these when leaders were made and young creatives had the opportunity to step up. “It really pushed me to learn leadership skills very early in my career and it not only contributed to the growth of Passion Republic, but also play a pivotal role in Malaysia’s gaming industry,” said Head of Animator, Cheong Teik Mun.

They also emphasized the importance of working in a cross-discipline team. Despite graduating from different creative fields, each person plays a vital role in creating games. For example, game artists imagine and create the overall visual of the game. They choose colours, design characters, weapons, and concepts for each level. Animators on the other hand, add details like movements, textures, 3D modelling and lighting to characters and environments. As for programmers, they plan out the entire gameplay.

However, some tasks require a mix of different skills, allowing these creatives to learn from various designers and artists as they collaborate on projects. This creates an exciting work experience as they not only bond over their shared interest in games but also explore beyond their existing expertise.

Today, the company has nearly 200 employees, including Animators, Technical Artists, 3D Artists, Lighting Artists, Rigging Artists, VFX Artists, Game Programmers, and more. With several team members working together, they have attained clients from major game industry giants such as Sony Interactive Entertainment, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Warner Bros. Games, Naughty Dog, Nintendo, SEGA and Microsoft Studios.

The dream of establishing a successful game production studio in Malaysia has now become a reality shared by many local artists and animators. The gaming industry creates a space for individuals to express their creativity and skills while doing what they love. Passion Republic stands as a testament to the power of passion and drive, inspiring talented creatives today and for generations to come to pursue their dreams.

The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its “Masters Train Masters” coaching philosophy, which has been practised for 33 years, by providing diploma and degree courses in Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts, Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making, Computer Science & Game Design. For more information, visit www.toa.edu.my or call 03-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].