Publishing
Ongoing coverage on Publishing.
Latest coverage
Sony CEO Reveals Gaming Makes Largest Revenue, Wants PlayStation To Be Best Place To Play & Publish
Sony's CEO has stated that gaming generates the largest portion of the company's entertainment revenue. He expressed a desire for the PlayStation platform to be the premier destination for both playing and publishing games.
Nexon is taking on Overwatch publishing duties in Korea ‘within the year’
Nexon and Blizzard Entertainment have partnered to publish Overwatch on PC in Korea, with operations beginning later this year. Nexon will handle live service and business operations tailored to the Korean market, while Blizzard will continue overall game development. This partnership follows a previous deal where Nexon began publishing for the StarCraft IP in Korea.
Nexon agrees to publish Overwatch in Korea
Nexon has agreed to publish Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch in Korea, handling live service and business operations for the PC version expected this year. The partnership aims to deliver hyper-localized content and services tailored for Korean players, leveraging Nexon's expertise in the market and Blizzard's game development. This agreement follows recent unionization efforts at Blizzard and discussions around AI in game development.
Mr. Resident Evil signs a deal with Mr. Stellar Blade
Shift Up, the company behind Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke, has acquired Shinji Mikami's new studio, Unbound Inc. Unbound's unannounced games will be supported and distributed by Shift Up, with Mikami expressing confidence in a creative partnership with CEO Hyung-Tae Kim. This acquisition follows the closure of Mikami's previous studio, Tango Gameworks, by Microsoft.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up acquires Shinji Mikami's new studio
South Korean developer Shift Up has acquired Unbound, a new studio founded by veteran creator Shinji Mikami. The acquisition aims to bolster Shift Up's global PC and console publishing capabilities, with Unbound working on a significant new game. Both companies expressed excitement about creative synergy and delivering high-quality gaming experiences worldwide.
Stellar Blade developer acquires Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's new studio, Unbound
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has acquired Unbound, the studio founded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. The partnership aims to leverage shared visions for game creation, with Unbound currently developing a new PC and console IP. Shift Up plans to handle publishing for Unbound's titles and enhance its global service capabilities.
Stellar Blade Dev Acquires Shinji Mikami's New Studio, Will Publish Its Games
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has acquired Unbound, the new studio founded by horror game veteran Shinji Mikami. Shift Up will now publish games developed by Unbound, whose first project is a new IP built in Unreal Engine 5 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Both Shinji Mikami and Shift Up CEO Hyung Tae Kim expressed enthusiasm for their shared creative vision and commitment to high-quality game development.
Shift Up has acquired Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's new studio
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has acquired Unbound Inc, the new studio founded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Unbound is developing original console and PC titles, which Shift Up will publish. The acquisition aims to expand Shift Up's publishing reach and bolster its development talent with Mikami's team.
Shift Up Acquires Shinji Mikami's Unbound Studio | Console Creatures
Shift Up, the developer behind Stellar Blade, has acquired Unbound, the studio founded by Shinji Mikami. The acquisition aims to integrate Unbound and leverage Shift Up's resources as a global publisher to develop original games. Both company leaders expressed enthusiasm for future collaboration and shared creative visions.
"You can't build clever little games anymore," says RPG legend, unless you get lucky like Clair Obscur Expedition 33: "That doesn't please the stock market"
Veteran game creator Dan Daglow believes large publishers can no longer afford to develop "clever little games" due to stock market pressures, making it difficult to launch new intellectual properties. He highlights Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as an example of an indie title that can break through the current market reliance on sequels and guaranteed hits.
"You lost $40 million": Dev had Mortal Kombat rights yanked away because he went on a family vacation when the publisher believed he "should have been" chained to the studio
Software Creations co-founder Richard Kay discusses how the company lost the rights to develop Mortal Kombat for home consoles. This decision was reportedly made by Acclaim's chairman due to Kay taking a vacation during a critical development period for another game, leading to an estimated $40 million loss in royalties.
Reforged Studios acquires Super Meat Boy 3D publisher Headup Games
Reforged Studios has acquired Headup Games, the publisher of Super Meat Boy Forever, in a strategic move to bolster its publishing platform. Headup's founder, Dieter Schoeller, has been appointed chief publishing officer at Reforged. The acquisition aims to support independent studios without job losses. Separately, Everplay (formerly Team17 Group) reported flat revenue but a 10% increase in gross profit for 2025, driven by new releases and back catalogue performance.
Metacritic's 2025 Rankings Show A Major Shift In Top Publishers
Metacritic's 2025 publisher rankings reveal significant shifts, with Square Enix topping the list followed by Gamirror Games and Capcom. Nintendo saw a notable rise, while Sony dropped from fourth to 21st place. The rankings are based on critical reviews, excluding sales and user scores, and consider factors like average Metascore and the percentage of good and bad reviews.
Balatro publisher Playstack has a 'hit ratio' of over 85 percent
UK-based company Playstack, known for publishing the hit game Balatro, boasts a success rate of over 85 percent for its published titles. The company also publishes games such as Abiotic Factor and VOID/BREAKER.
IOI Partners no longer wants anything to do with MindsEye
The Danish company has ended its publishing agreement with the developer Build A Rocket Boy, which is associated with MindsEye. This marks a conclusion to their partnership.
Issues and Activism
The CEO of the studio behind Subnautica 2 claims publisher Krafton unilaterally set the game's release date without their consent. This decision has led to internal disputes regarding the game's launch timing.
"We are looking to add companies that bring something new" – Head of Raw Fury and Combined Effect explains his plans
Pim Holfve, now dual CEO of Raw Fury and its parent company Combined Effect, outlines his vision for scaling both entities. He emphasizes fostering creative independence within a collaborative structure, supporting indie developers, and potentially acquiring new companies that complement the group's existing strengths. Raw Fury saw significant success with titles like Blue Prince and Routine in the past year.
Witcher, Cyberpunk Dev Has An Unannounced Project Releasing Somewhat Soon
CD Projekt has announced plans to publish an unannounced game project in the coming quarters. While details are scarce, fans speculate it could be DLC for The Witcher 3, bridging the gap to The Witcher 4. The company also discussed its "franchise flywheel concept" and plans for multiplayer features in future titles.
Balatro publisher Playstack boasts "hit ratio" of over 85%
Parent company TruFin reports that indie label Playstack has achieved a hit ratio of over 85%, with nearly all published games generating a positive return on external development investment. Playstack generated £55.3 million in gross revenue in 2025, a 24% increase year-on-year, and its portfolio has seen over 20 million downloads and 150 million hours played. The success of titles like Balatro has significantly boosted the company's confidence and strategy.
Balatro publisher Playstack has a 'hit ratio' of more than 85 percent
Playstack, the publisher behind the successful game Balatro, has achieved a 'hit ratio' of over 85 percent, indicating most of its published titles have generated positive returns. The company's parent, TruFin, reported significant growth in profit before tax for 2025, with Playstack's catalog grossing over $100 million on Steam alone. Balatro itself sold over 5 million units by January 2025 and contributed to record sales for Playstack.
