Why Companies Outsource Game Design Talents

As the gaming industry expands across mobile, VR, and cloud platforms, demand for skilled game design professionals has skyrocketed. Studios worldwide are under pressure to build immersive experiences while keeping production costs manageable and that’s where outsourcing game designers comes in.

From indie studios to AAA developers, outsourcing has become a strategic way to scale creative production, access specialized skills, and accelerate time-to-market. In this article, we’ll explore why companies are increasingly turning to global game design outsourcing, what regions are leading the trend, and how FastLaneRecruit’s Employer of Record (EOR) solution makes hiring global talent simple and compliant.

The Global Rise of Game Design Outsourcing

The global gaming industry is growing faster than ever, with revenues projected to exceed USD 320 billion by 2026, according to PwC. This surge is being driven by the expansion of mobile gaming, cloud gaming, and immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR).

As games become more complex and platforms more diverse, studios are under increasing pressure to produce high-quality titles quickly, all while keeping costs under control. This has created a major challenge: a worldwide shortage of skilled talent in critical areas such as level design, UI/UX, 3D modeling, visual effects, and AR/VR integration.

To stay competitive, many studios are turning to outsourcing as a strategic solution. Instead of maintaining large, costly in-house design teams, developers can collaborate with specialized external partners or freelancers who provide the exact expertise needed for each project phase.

Outsourcing has evolved from being just a cost-saving measure to becoming a core production strategy that enables creativity, efficiency, and flexibility. By working with external partners, studios can:

• Scale production quickly — outsource design or art tasks to speed up new releases, expansions, or updates.
  
• Reduce overhead costs — save on salaries, software subscriptions, training, and office infrastructure.
  
• Access global creative talent — collaborate with designers from around the world who bring unique artistic perspectives and gameplay ideas.
  
• Stay agile and flexible — adjust team size and skills according to each project’s scope and requirements.

This approach allows companies to manage workloads more effectively without compromising on quality or innovation.

For example, major studios like Ubisoft and Activision have successfully adopted outsourcing partnerships with creative teams in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. These regions are known for their strong technical talent and competitive production costs. By outsourcing tasks like art design, asset creation, and quality assurance testing, these global developers can maintain top-tier visual and gameplay standards while optimizing budgets and delivery timelines.

Ultimately, the rise of game design outsourcing represents a new era of global collaboration where creativity knows no borders and where studios can focus on storytelling and innovation while specialized partners handle production and technical execution.

Also Read: Top 10 Software Outsourcing Companies in the Philippines

Why Companies Outsource Game Design Talent

1. Access to Specialized Skills

Game design involves far more than visual art, it’s storytelling, psychology, and user engagement combined. Outsourcing allows companies to tap into specialized designers with experience in different genres and platforms.

Whether it’s a mobile puzzle game, an open-world adventure, or a VR experience, outsourcing gives you access to designers who have already mastered these areas.

Example: Malaysian studios have gained international recognition for high-quality art and animation. With growing government support through initiatives like the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) (source), the country has become a competitive hub for creative digital talent.

2. Cost Efficiency Without Compromising Quality

Building and maintaining an in-house team of game designers is a major investment, particularly in high-cost regions such as North America and Western Europe. Salaries, benefits, software licenses, and studio overhead can quickly add up, making it difficult for smaller studios or indie developers to compete with major publishers.

Outsourcing offers a practical, cost-effective alternative. By partnering with skilled game design professionals from regions like Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe, studios can significantly reduce expenses while maintaining or even improving creative and technical quality.

Here’s a general comparison to show how outsourcing can make a real difference:

Outsourcing to emerging creative hubs like Malaysia, Vietnam, or the Philippines can reduce design production costs by up to 60%, while still ensuring visually stunning, professionally crafted results.

What makes these markets so attractive is that lower cost doesn’t mean lower capability. For example, Malaysia’s government actively supports digital industries through initiatives led by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which nurtures skilled professionals in animation, 3D modeling, and game development. This commitment to digital education and innovation has turned Malaysia into a regional powerhouse for creative outsourcing.

Additionally, many of these regions follow international production standards and use the same industry-grade tools (like Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, and Maya) as Western studios, ensuring seamless collaboration and consistent quality.

Ultimately, outsourcing lets studios allocate budgets more strategically, focusing on creative direction, marketing, and player experience while trusted partners handle design, art, and technical execution at a fraction of the cost.

Also Read: Front-End Development Outsourcing: Pros and Cons

3. Faster Production Cycles

Modern game production involves parallel workflows, design, development, animation, and testing. With outsourcing, studios can assign different components to specialized teams working across time zones.

This “follow-the-sun” model accelerates turnaround time. For instance, while your in-house developers sleep, your outsourced team can finalize design assets or level environments, keeping production continuous.

4. Global Collaboration & Cultural Diversity

Game design thrives on creativity and diverse perspectives often lead to better storytelling and gameplay innovation. By outsourcing, companies can collaborate with teams from different cultural backgrounds, helping games resonate with a broader audience.

Global collaboration also encourages cross-genre experimentation, as designers contribute unique visual styles and narrative techniques influenced by their regions.

5. Focus on Core Competencies

Outsourcing allows companies to focus internal resources on strategic areas such as concept development, marketing, or monetization while outsourcing technical or repetitive design tasks.

This division of labor enhances efficiency and ensures that your in-house creative leads can focus on vision and brand consistency rather than routine production work.

Commonly Outsourced Game Design Roles

Outsourcing in game design isn’t just about lowering costs; it’s about gaining access to specialized skills and creative diversity that enhance the final product. Below are some of the most commonly outsourced roles in the industry, along with how they add value and real-world examples of their impact.

UI/UX Designer – Creating Seamless Player Experiences

A UI/UX designer shapes how players interact with a game from the layout of menus to navigation, icons, and overall usability. These designers ensure that every interaction feels intuitive and visually cohesive with the game’s identity.

Outsourcing Benefit: Outsourcing UI/UX design gives studios access to a wider range of creative ideas from designers around the world. Different markets have different player expectations, and global talent can help tailor interfaces for international audiences.

Example: A U.S.-based studio developing a mobile RPG for Southeast Asia partnered with a Malaysian UX team to localize interface designs and menu structures. The collaboration led to a 40% boost in player engagement during beta testing.

Level Designer – Building Immersive Worlds and Gameplay Flow

Level designers are responsible for crafting game environments and designing the pacing and flow of gameplay. Their work determines how engaging, challenging, and rewarding a game feels.

Outsourcing Benefit: Partnering with experienced level designers abroad allows studios to benefit from specialized expertise in various genres such as platformers, RPGs, or open-world adventures while managing production costs more efficiently.

Example: A European studio outsourced level design for a sci-fi action title to a team in Poland with strong Unreal Engine experience. The move reduced development time by 30% and significantly improved player navigation and immersion.

Also Read: Malaysia: A Rising Hub for Offshore Front-End Development Talent

3D Artist / Animator – Bringing Characters and Worlds to Life

3D artists and animators handle everything from modeling and rigging to realistic movements and cinematic cutscenes. They bring characters, environments, and visual effects to life.

Outsourcing Benefit: Outsourcing 3D art and animation allows studios to access high-quality work from regions with lower production costs. Many overseas teams are skilled in industry-standard tools such as Maya, Blender, and ZBrush.

Example: A Canadian indie studio outsourced its character animations to a Vietnamese team specializing in motion capture. The collaboration delivered high-quality combat sequences at nearly half the local production cost.

Concept Artist – Visualizing the Game’s Creative Vision

Concept artists set the visual tone of a game. They create the first illustrations of characters, environments, weapons, and story moments that guide developers, designers, and animators.

Outsourcing Benefit: Outsourcing concept art helps studios speed up pre-production, especially when pitching to publishers or investors. It’s a cost-effective way to quickly visualize a project’s creative direction.

Example: A UK startup outsourced early world-building concepts to a Filipino art collective. Within two weeks, they received high-quality visual storyboards that helped secure a publisher partnership worth over USD 150,000.

Sound Designer – Crafting the Game’s Audio Identity

Sound designers create the atmosphere that players hear including ambient effects, dialogue, music, and environmental sounds. Great audio enhances immersion and emotional engagement.

Outsourcing Benefit: By outsourcing sound design, studios can collaborate with global experts who bring authentic regional sound textures or unique recording techniques, making the game more distinctive and immersive.

Example: A Japanese developer partnered with a Thai studio to produce ambient jungle sounds for an open-world exploration game. The authentic recordings elevated the game’s atmosphere and received positive feedback from players.

Outsourcing these creative roles allows game studios to stay agile, scale efficiently, and deliver higher-quality experiences without the burden of maintaining large in-house teams. It also opens doors to global talent pools and fresh creative influences that enrich the storytelling and artistry of modern games.

Also Read: Hiring Front-End Developer Teams in Malaysia

Where Companies Are Outsourcing: Malaysia

Malaysia is quickly becoming a preferred destination for game development outsourcing, attracting both startups and established studios from around the world. Its appeal goes beyond cost savings, the country offers a combination of skilled talent, supportive infrastructure, and strategic incentives that make it ideal for long-term creative partnerships.

Skilled Multilingual Talent with Global Experience

Malaysia boasts a large pool of skilled game developers, designers, and animators who are proficient in English and other languages. Many of these professionals have experience working on international projects, making it easier for overseas companies to collaborate seamlessly.

Example: A European mobile game studio outsourced character modeling and UI design to a Malaysian team. The multilingual team communicated efficiently across time zones, delivered high-quality work, and even suggested culturally relevant design improvements that enhanced the game’s appeal in Southeast Asian markets.

Government Incentives Under the Malaysia Digital Initiative

The Malaysian government actively supports the growth of the digital and creative industries. Programs under the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative offer grants, tax incentives, and funding support to attract foreign investment in tech and gaming. These incentives lower operational risks and make it financially attractive for companies to outsource to Malaysia. Source: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)

Example: A U.S.-based studio received partial funding through MDEC for outsourcing a VR project to a Malaysian studio, significantly reducing production costs while gaining access to local expertise in immersive technologies.

Strong Creative Education Ecosystem

Malaysia’s creative education sector produces highly skilled graduates in game design, animation, and multimedia arts. Institutions like Limkokwing University and The One Academy offer specialized programs in game art, 3D modeling, and interactive media, ensuring a steady flow of talented professionals ready for industry work.

Example: Studios outsourcing to Malaysia often hire recent graduates for junior roles in 3D animation or UI/UX design, pairing them with experienced mentors. This approach balances cost-efficiency with high-quality output.

Competitive Labor Costs

Compared to traditional outsourcing destinations like the U.S., UK, or Japan, Malaysia offers highly competitive labor costs without compromising quality. Companies can reduce production expenses by 40–60% depending on the role and project complexity, making it an attractive option for both startups and large studios.

Example Table: Cost Comparison

By combining affordable costs, global expertise, and government support, Malaysia is not just a budget-friendly outsourcing option, it is a strategic creative partner. Companies looking to scale production, access specialized skills, or enter the Southeast Asian gaming market can leverage Malaysia’s ecosystem to achieve both efficiency and innovation.

Also Read: Front-end Developer Salary Guide 2025

Tips for Outsourcing Game Design to Malaysia

Outsourcing to Malaysia can be highly effective, but success depends on careful planning, clear communication, and choosing the right partners. Here are key tips to ensure your outsourcing project runs smoothly and delivers high-quality results.

1. Define Your Project Scope Clearly

Before engaging a Malaysian studio or freelancer, outline exactly what you need. Specify roles, responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables. A well-defined scope helps avoid misunderstandings and keeps your project on track.

Example: If you are outsourcing level design for a mobile game, clearly state the number of levels, design style, assets required, and performance targets. This reduces back-and-forth revisions and ensures consistent quality.

2. Choose the Right Partner

Selecting the right outsourcing partner is critical. Look for studios or freelancers with experience in your game genre, platform, and project size. Review portfolios, past projects, and client testimonials to assess capabilities.

Example: A studio in Kuala Lumpur specializing in 3D animation and VR experiences may be ideal for a VR puzzle game, while a smaller team in Penang might excel in mobile 2D art for casual games.

3. Focus on Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is essential when working with teams across different locations. Use project management tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana to track tasks and deadlines. Set up regular video calls and establish overlapping working hours to ensure smooth collaboration.

Example: A U.S. studio outsourcing UI/UX design to a Malaysian team sets 3 hours of overlapping time each day. This ensures real-time discussions on critical updates while accommodating time zone differences.

4. Leverage Local Talent Networks

Tap into Malaysia’s robust creative ecosystem to find the right talent. Universities like Limkokwing University and The One Academy, as well as local industry events and networking platforms, can help you connect with emerging and experienced professionals.

Example: Hiring recent graduates for junior 3D modeling tasks can be cost-effective, while pairing them with senior local designers ensures quality output and mentoring.

5. Set Milestones and Quality Checks

Break your project into clear milestones and implement regular quality reviews. This approach helps catch issues early and ensures the outsourced team aligns with your expectations.

Example: For a game’s character design phase, set milestones such as initial concept sketches, first 3D model, rigging, and final textures. Conduct weekly reviews to ensure the style and technical requirements are met.

6. Protect Intellectual Property

When outsourcing internationally, protecting your IP is essential. Use clear contracts, NDAs, and service agreements that define ownership of all assets and code.

Example: Include clauses in your contract specifying that all game assets, animations, and code developed by the Malaysian team belong to your company, and restrict sharing with third parties.

Also Read: Payroll & Compliance Guide for Hiring Malaysian Front-end Developers

7. Consider Cultural and Creative Differences

Malaysia’s creative talent brings unique perspectives influenced by local culture. Encourage collaboration while providing clear style guides, reference materials, and examples to ensure alignment with your vision.

Example: If your game has a Western fantasy theme, provide detailed references and style guides so Malaysian artists can adapt their designs while preserving your intended aesthetic.

8. Use a Trial Project First

Before committing to a long-term partnership, start with a small pilot project. This allows you to evaluate the team’s skills, communication, and reliability.

Example: Outsource the creation of one game level or a set of character models as a trial. Assess quality, turnaround time, and responsiveness before scaling up to full production.

9. Leverage Government Support and Incentives

Take advantage of Malaysia’s government initiatives for digital and creative industries, such as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) programs. These incentives can help reduce costs and provide access to training or funding opportunities.

Example: A studio accessing MDEC grants can fund part of their outsourcing budget for VR development, reducing financial risk while leveraging local talent.

By following these tips, companies can maximize the benefits of outsourcing game design to Malaysia: faster production, access to specialized talent, and significant cost savings, all while maintaining high-quality standards.

Also Read: DevOps Engineer Salary Guide 2025

FastLaneRecruit’s EOR: A Smart Solution for Outsourcing Malaysian Talent

When outsourcing game design to Malaysia, navigating local employment laws, payroll, and compliance can be challenging for international companies. This is where FastLaneRecruit’s Employer of Record (EOR) service becomes invaluable.

With FastLaneRecruit EOR, you can:

• Hire Malaysian talent quickly and legally without setting up a local entity.
• Ensure full compliance with Malaysian labor laws, taxes, and statutory benefits.
• Streamline payroll and HR management, so you can focus on your core game development project.
• Scale your team flexibly, adding or reducing resources based on project needs without long-term commitments.

Example: A U.S.-based gaming studio wants to hire UI/UX and level design to Malaysian designers. Using FastLaneRecruit EOR, they can legally hire and manage the team, pay salaries on time, and comply with Malaysian labor regulations, all while the team works remotely to deliver high-quality assets.

By combining global outsourcing with FastLaneRecruit’s EOR services, companies gain a cost-effective, compliant, and flexible solution for building skilled game development teams in Malaysia.

Learn more about FastLaneRecruit’s EOR service.

Conclusion

Outsourcing game design talent globally empowers companies to stay ahead in an industry that thrives on innovation and speed. By combining creative diversity, cost efficiency, and flexible collaboration, global outsourcing transforms how games are made from concept to launch.

Scale Your Game Design Team Effortlessly with FastLaneRecruit

Looking to expand your game design capabilities without the hassle of setting up local entities or managing complex HR and payroll processes? FastLaneRecruit’s Employer of Record (EOR) service provides a seamless, compliant solution for hiring Malaysian and regional creative talent.

With FastLaneRecruit EOR, you can:

• Hire quickly and legally: Onboard skilled designers, artists, and developers without establishing a local company.
• Stay fully compliant: We manage payroll, taxes, statutory benefits, and labor law requirements in Malaysia.
• Focus on core game development: Let your internal team concentrate on creating immersive gaming experiences while we handle the administrative side.
• Scale with flexibility: Easily add or reduce your team based on project demands, ensuring cost efficiency and agility.

Whether you’re building an indie hit or scaling a AAA title, FastLaneRecruit makes outsourcing Malaysian talent simple, safe, and efficient.

Take the next step in global game development. Learn more about FastLaneRecruit’s EOR solutions for outsourcing Malaysian employees here.