Singapore-based gaming company Razer has officially launched its new AI Centre of Excellence at its Southeast Asian headquarters in One-North. The opening, held on 4 August, marks a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core operations.
Over the next one to two years, Razer intends to hire 150 professionals, including engineers, data scientists, and game developers with expertise in AI. These recruits will play a crucial role in developing AI-driven tools that enhance the gaming experience for players and streamline development processes for creators.
According to Razer’s Chief Strategy Officer, Lee Li Meng, the company is keen to build a strong local talent pool while also seeking experienced professionals from the United States and China, nations with robust AI ecosystems. “We are working to see whether we can bring some of them here, because we need some of that to be able to build a local talent pool,” Mr Lee said.
Automating game development with AI tools
Among the key innovations showcased at the new AI centre is the Razer QA Companion. This tool is currently undergoing beta testing with more than 50 major and independent game studios. It assists developers by identifying bugs and testing for quality assurance, aiming to reduce production costs and accelerate the time-to-market for new games. Due to confidentiality agreements, Razer has not disclosed the names of participating studios.
Quality assurance in game development can consume as much as 40 per cent of the production timeline. Mr Lee explained that the company’s QA tool is designed to reduce this workload by half. “Our goal is to empower game developers with the tools that deliver more immersive, intelligent and efficient gaming experiences at scale,” he added.
The launch event was attended by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who praised Razer’s initiative. She noted that embedding AI into the core of business operations—rather than treating it as a peripheral enhancement—is becoming more common among home-grown firms like Razer.
Mrs Teo highlighted how the gaming industry’s innovations could benefit other sectors. “Before a game is published, it has to go through a process of quality assurance, which constitutes a big part of the cost of developing a game,” she said. She drew parallels between this process and manufacturing, where detecting and correcting defects before distribution is key to quality control.
Speaking about Razer’s QA Companion, she added: “The more readily you can pick up defects, correct them or remove them from the supply chain, the better it is that your customers will be served.”
Part of a global AI expansion strategy
The Singapore hub is the first of three AI Centres of Excellence that Razer plans to open globally. The other two centres will be located in Europe and the United States—regions where many of Razer’s partner developers are based.
The opening of the centre is supported by Digital Industry Singapore, a joint office comprising the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority. Razer has not disclosed whether this support includes financial backing, but confirmed that further details are being finalised.
In line with national AI development goals, Razer also announced its intention to collaborate with AI Singapore and local institutes of higher learning. These partnerships will offer students and young professionals internship and attachment opportunities, with hands-on training in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
This initiative supports Singapore’s updated national AI strategy, which was unveiled in December 2023. The plan focuses on talent development, creating a robust AI industry, and building world-class infrastructure that ensures AI is used ethically and for the public good.
In February 2024, the Singapore Government pledged more than US$1 billion in funding over the next five years to support AI computing, talent development, and industry growth. Since early 2024, more than 26 companies, including American Express, Grab, Oracle, and Prudential, have established AI centres of excellence in Singapore to drive innovation in artificial intelligence.
