Citing the area’s appeal to creative and tech talent, Greenville, North Carolina-based Grover Gaming is opening its new game development studio in Wilmington, according to a press release.

The studio, located in The Cotton Exchange in downtown Wilmington, already has several employees working in the office, and will officially open Sept. 27 with about 20 employees. Ultimately, the company plans to hire over 60 team members, Chief Product Officer Dean Smith said in an email.

“Grover Gaming has been pooling talent from all over the country, and as we get newer, younger talent, there is more and more demand for an urban location that is central to food, festivals and city events,” Smith said. “Wilmington has a huge appeal for creatives with close proximity to EUE/Screen Gems Studios and downtown art galleries and museums.”

Grover Gaming develops software, game content and gaming systems for lotteries and charitable gaming jurisdictions. The company produces over 80 game titles played across the country, according to Smith.

General manager Dotty Battoe will be leading the Wilmington game studio.

The positions the company has and is currently hiring for include game developers, programmers, 3D artists, quality assurance professionals and quality testers, as well as leadership positions such as studio general manager, art director, director of game design and director of game development.

These positions, Smith said, are highly sought after by employers.

“[They] are very in-demand jobs at the moment and are getting recruited from companies located in California, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Chicago. With all that Wilmington has to offer, we are confident that we can compete with any of these other cities," Smith said.

Grover Gaming aims to draw from local tech employees as well as employees from other locations.

“Wilmington has a vibrant culture and lively art scene – if we are not finding people locally, we are hoping to attract talent from across the country with the many things the city has to offer, such as events, local restaurants and beaches,” Smith said.

The software company also hopes to support the local growth of tech talent through working with local colleges and universities

"This expansion really makes sense for us," Kevin Morse, director of market development, said in the release. "Wilmington is growing as fast as we are, and we know that having an independent game studio there will allow us to continue to attract top-notch talent."