Hi, I'm Nataly and I'm the founder of BrainStorm Translate. About six months ago, I decided to build a database of Game Localization companies for our community. The goal was simple: help translators discover more career opportunities.
Sounds easy, right? Well... not really. Here's the funny part.
I'm not even a Game Localization specialist. My background is actually in Audiovisual Translation (AVT), so yes—I basically had to learn the industry while building the database.
"There is no way."
That was literally my first thought after seeing the same companies in Google's search results for what felt like the hundredth time.
I kept changing my search queries.
Game Localization Game Localization Companies Video Game Localization
Different wording. Same companies. Again and again. At some point I just sat there thinking:
There is no way an entire global industry consists of only these companies.
That was the moment this whole journey started.
Google Wasn't the Problem
At first, I did what I think most people would do.
I opened Google and searched for Game Localization companies.
The results looked impressive—until I realized they were always the same.
The companies weren't bad. Quite the opposite. Most of them are well-established, trusted, and have been in the industry for years.
But they're also the companies everyone already knows. The companies everyone applies to. The companies that appear in every "Top Game Localization Companies" article.
And I wasn't trying to build another version of that list.
I wanted to find the companies people don't usually find.
Then I Asked Myself One Simple Question
For a while, I genuinely couldn't understand what I was missing.
If thousands of translators work in games...
If hundreds of games are released every year...
If localization is such a huge industry...
Where is everyone actually working?
That single question changed everything.
Instead of searching for Game Localization, I started looking at how games are actually made.
And suddenly it clicked.
Localization isn't a separate world.
It's one part of the entire game development pipeline.
Looking at the Industry Instead of One Service
Instead of searching for one type of company, I started exploring the whole ecosystem.
Some companies provide:
- Full Game Development
- Outsourcing Game Development
- Linguistic QA
- Localization Testing
- Proofreading
- Game Dubbing
- Voice-over
- Subtitling
Then I noticed something else.
These services overlap all the time.
One company might offer Full Game Development + Localization.
Another combines Outsourcing + Linguistic QA.
Another focuses on Dubbing + Localization + Subtitling.
Suddenly I wasn't searching for one keyword anymore.
I had dozens of different search combinations, and every new search brought new companies.
The biggest lesson I learned?
Don't search only for *Game Localization companies. Search for the entire industry around them.
Google Isn't the Whole Internet
Another surprise was that different search engines showed me different companies.
I expected Google to find everything.
It didn't.
So I started comparing results from Google, Bing, and even Yandex.
To my surprise, Bing introduced me to companies that Google barely surfaced. It sounds obvious now, but back then it genuinely felt like opening another door.
LinkedIn Became One of My Favorite Research Tools
Not because of job posts, but because of translators.
Sometimes I'd simply search for Game Localization professionals and look at where they'd worked.
If I saw the same company appearing on several profiles, that immediately caught my attention.
Not because I wanted to copy someone's career path.
But because it told me something important.
Real translators had worked there.
Which probably meant the company had real localization projects and real opportunities.
Research Comes Before Applications
Finding a company is only the first step.
Before adding any company to my database, I always try to verify it through trusted sources.
At BrainStorm Translate, we're also building our own company review system because I believe community experience is just as valuable as public ratings.
Looking Back...
Looking back, I don't think the database is the most important thing I created.
The search strategy is.
The biggest shift happened when I stopped asking:
"Which companies do Game Localization?"
And started asking:
"Which companies are involved in making games, and where do language professionals fit into that process?"
It's a small shift in perspective.
But for me, it changed everything.
And honestly...
It all started with one simple thought.
"There is no way these are the only companies out there."
If You'd Like to Explore Further
Everything I described in this article eventually became the foundation of the company databases we maintain at BrainStorm Translate.
If you're just getting started, our Basic Game Localization Lists is completely free. It includes enough companies to help you understand the market, discover different types of employers, and start building your own outreach strategy.
If you've already worked through that list and want to go further, we also maintain Premium Company Databases with significantly more companies, direct HR and Project Manager contacts, and regular updates every two weeks as we continue researching the industry.
Whether you're looking for your first localization client or simply want to expand your opportunities, I hope these resources save you some of the time I spent figuring all of this out myself.