September 19, 2025. In the latest episode ofPanamericana Emprende, a podcast from the Universidad Panamericana dedicated to stories of entrepreneurship and business innovation, explored the path of Halberd Studios, a video game development studio born in the classrooms of Panamericana and now an international benchmark for Mexican talent.
To discuss this,Dr. Jesús Gómez Romero Bórquez, partner at the firm and director of the Digital Animation Engineering program at the Guadalajara campus, andRaúl Bonillas, COO of Halberd Studios, were invited as guests. Both shared with José Armando García, head of Institutional Communication at the Guadalajara campus, the origins, challenges, and vision of this project that raises the university's profile.
From classrooms to the world: the origins of a dream
The seed for Halberd Studios was planted byMiguel Hasson, founder of the studio and graduate of the Panamericana University's Communication program. During his time at university, Hasson began to develop the concept of what would later become Nine Years of Shadows, the studio's first video game.
"Miguel studied at the Universidad Panamericana, and during one of his classes he developed the concept and story for what would later become the first video game,"says Raúl Bonillas, who met Hasson while collaborating on projects and eventually joined as a partner.
The connection with the Universidad Panamericana strengthened thanks to Dr. Gómez Romero Bórquez, who was then a professor of both and saw the potential to unite student talent with the vision of the project.
It was Gómez Romero Bórquez who introduced Hasson to a group of seventh-semester students who were developing a virtual reality prototype. "I told him, 'They're very good, I think it could work,'" recalls the academic.
This marked the beginning of a collaboration that culminated in the creation of a demo that was launched onKickstarter, reaching its funding goal in just four days and validating the project as a viable business. Thus , Halberd Studios was born, evolving from a student dream into a venture with international impact.
The UP formula: academia and industry hand in hand
The success of Halberd Studios is a prime example of how fruitful the union between academia and industry can be. The studio was not only founded by a group of alumni from Panamericana, but approximately 80-90% of its team is made up of professionals who graduated from Panamericana's Digital Animation and Communication programs .
"I believe that professionalizing the creative aspect has helped us to be consistent and strive to compete in the business world,"Bonillas points out. This approach has allowed them to compete in a global market, moving away from a paternalistic vision and focusing on profitability and international quality from the outset.
More than video games: a transmedia and global vision
Halberd Studios' vision goes beyond releasing successful video games. Its medium- and long-term goal is to create rich, transmediaintellectual properties (IPs).
"The conclusion we have reached (...) is that entertainment products are transmedia. We want to be able to continue generating IPs that don't end with the video game, but could easily become an animated series or have another type of outlet," explains Bonillas.
Currently, in addition to the acclaimedNine Years of Shadows, the studio is developing Mariachi Legends, a title that celebrates Mexican culture with world-class quality, and has three or four other IPs in incubation.
Advice for UP entrepreneurs: perseverance, humility, and openness
To students who dream of becoming entrepreneurs, Dr. Jesús Gómez warns that this is a "gratifying pain.". He also recommends that those who decide to do so have "a lot of perseverance, a lot of feedback. Be open to it, because sometimes it's hard to open up and we may not like what they have to say."
Bonillas complements this message by emphasizinghumility: "Adapting to the industry and people's consumption habits is crucial. You have to step outside your comfort zone of thinking 'I'm the best here at university' and compare yourself with what is being done globally."
With entrepreneurial vision, creativity, and the academic backing of the Universidad Panamericana, Halberd Studios has demonstrated that Mexico can create world-class video games from Guadalajara for the global industry.
Listen to the full episode of Panamericana Emprende at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3My3mNR5BMraYd69YddQ97
