High Voltage Software has been developing games out of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, since April 1993, when Kerry J. Ganofsky founded the studio fresh from his college graduation. What began as a four-person operation grew steadily through the 1990s and 2000s, reaching 160 employees by June 2006, and the studio built its reputation on original work rather than a single franchise. Lego Racers (1999) and Hunter: The Reckoning (2002) established it as a developer that could deliver polished, approachable games for licensed and original properties alike, and its own portfolio also lists VIP Casino Blackjack (2008). The Conduit (2009) and Conduit 2 (2011) were the studio's most ambitious originals, first-person shooters built on in-house technology, while Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (2015) saw High Voltage take the lead on a standalone entry in one of the era's most irreverent open-world series.
Alongside its own titles, High Voltage became a trusted partner for bringing major releases to new platforms. The studio handled the Windows version of Mortal Kombat (2013) and the Windows version of Mortal Kombat X (2015), and it remastered Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (2013) for PlayStation 4 and Windows, with the Steam credit reading "Remastered by High Voltage Software, Inc." beside NetherRealm Studios as the original developer. That partnership work extended to co-development on Fortnite: Save the World (2018). The company also announced a satellite studio in New Orleans at Place St. Charles, scheduled to open in early 2015. On December 15, 2020 the studio's independent era ended when Keywords Studios acquired it for an initial consideration of $23.75 million in cash plus $9.75 million in shares, with up to $16.5 million more tied to performance targets through December 31, 2021. Under studio head Anthony Glueck, High Voltage continues to operate from Hoffman Estates as part of the Keywords group. For players, the studio's catalog matters most for the way it opened doors: its ports and remasters are how titles like Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, complete with NetherRealm's full roster of downloadable characters, reached Windows in the first place.
