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Demonware

Tools & Infrastructure
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4
Founded
2003
Employees
201-500
Offices
4

About Demonware

Demonware is an online game-technology and software-development company that builds multiplayer backend infrastructure and shared online services for Activision game teams. Founded in Dublin in 2003 by Dylan Collins and Sean Blanchfield, it began by addressing the repeated need for console developers to build network code and multiplayer systems from scratch.

The company develops and operates infrastructure for online play, including cross-platform identity and account linking, matchmaking, live statistics and telemetry, player data, game economies, cloud storage, content delivery, security, and large-scale data engineering. Its work combines multiplayer middleware with platform operations, including cloud and bare-metal systems orchestration, Kubernetes infrastructure, and site reliability engineering.

Demonware was acquired by Activision in May 2007. It moved from licensing middleware to third-party publishers to serving as a specialized shared online-engineering provider across Activision's studio network. The company remains active within Activision Publishing and the wider Microsoft Gaming organization.

Technology for live games

Its engineering work supports online gameplay systems designed for high-throughput, low-latency game sessions. The studio's reported technical stack includes Python, C++, Erlang, Go, MySQL, Linux, and Kubernetes, alongside internal platform tools for infrastructure and load balancing.

Selected game support

Demonware's technology and online-services work is associated with major Activision releases and franchises, including:

  • Call of Duty, including Warzone, Modern Warfare, Black Ops, Vanguard, and Call of Duty: WWII
  • Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and Crash Team Rumble
  • Guitar Hero titles and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
  • Skylanders titles and network support for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
More about Demonware

Leadership and engineering approach

Demonware is led by Co-Studio Heads Andrew Mitchell and Jason Wei. Its founders, Dylan Collins and Sean Blanchfield, co-founded the company in 2003 and sold it to Activision in 2007.

The company describes its engineering culture through four values: Embrace Challenges, Deliver Greatness; Play in Co-op Mode; Big Ideas, Small Egos; and Level Up, Together.

Internal platform work

Demonware operates a custom internal Kubernetes platform called Bonzai! and has developed Layer-4 load-balancing tooling including the open-source project BalanceD.

Notable credits

11 credits
  • Call of Duty: Warzone
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops series
  • Call of Duty: WWII
  • Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
  • Crash Team Rumble
  • Guitar Hero franchise
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
  • Skylanders series
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Offices

Where Demonware is based

4 locations

  • Dublin office

    Headquarters
    69 Middle Abbey Street, North City, Dublin 1, D01 N6F6, IrelandDublin, County Dublin, Ireland

    Global headquarters for core platform engineering, game services, and data management.

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  • Vancouver office

    Suite 700, 369 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6A 4C4, CanadaVancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Major engineering studio, data analytics hub, and site reliability center.

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  • Shanghai office

    695 Lingshi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai 200072, ChinaShanghai, China

    Regional engineering and co-op development hub.

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  • The Pen Factory

    2701 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404, United StatesSanta Monica, California, United States

    Southern California engineering and systems-architecture facility supporting coordination with Activision Publishing and partner studios.

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