Publishing
Ongoing coverage on Publishing.
Latest coverage
Vampire Survivors' Poncle is expanding into Japan
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is establishing a new studio in Japan, led by Crim CEO Sawaki Takeyasu. Founder Luca Galante expressed admiration for Japanese games and aims to foster a creative environment for developers. Poncle is also expanding its publishing division and opening a studio in Italy.
Skybound Games takes on Global Publishing for Sker Ritual
Skybound Games, in partnership with 5th Planet Games, will now globally publish Sker Ritual, developed by Wales Interactive. This collaboration aims to leverage Skybound's expertise in the horror genre and global reach to optimize catalog sales, promotions, and bundled offerings for the game. Wales Interactive will continue to focus on game development and expanding the Sker universe.
SKYBOUND GAMES TAKES ON PUBLISHING OF ZOMBIE SURVIVAL FPS SKER RITUAL
Skybound Games, in partnership with 5th Planet Games, has taken over the global publishing of Wales Interactive's zombie-survival FPS, Sker Ritual. This agreement covers both digital and physical distribution for the game, which is the spiritual successor to Maid of Sker. Wales Interactive will continue game development and franchise expansion.
A private equity company has acquired Balatro publisher, Playstack
Integrated Media Company, which also owns Fandom, GameSpot, and Metacritic, has acquired Playstack, the publisher of the popular game Balatro. This acquisition marks a significant move in the gaming industry's business landscape.
Balatro publisher Playstack only discovered it because they had a guy checking all the new releases on Steam every day:…
Playstack's head of discovery, Patrick Johnson, explained that the publisher found the hit indie game Balatro by manually checking new Steam releases daily. Despite Balatro having few wishlists initially, Playstack recognized its potential and reached out to developer LocalThunk. The article also mentions Playstack is in the process of being acquired by Integrated Media Company for $151 million.
Owner of Fandom and GameSpot looking to buy Playstack, the publisher of Balatro
VantageCo, a subsidiary of Integrated Media Company which owns Fandom and GameSpot, is looking to acquire an 84.5% stake in the publisher Playstack for £112.4 million. Playstack, known for publishing the award-winning game Balatro, is valued at £125 million. The deal is subject to shareholder approval, but Playstack's owner TruFin's board is recommending shareholders vote in favor.
TIGA NAMES ELAINE GREEN AS NEW CHAIR
TIGA, the trade association for the UK video games industry, has appointed Elaine Green as its new Chair, effective immediately. Green brings over 20 years of experience in game development and publishing and has been a TIGA Board Member since 2013. She replaces Jason Kingsley, who has been involved with TIGA since its founding in 2001.
Tencent Games Spotlights Future Player Experiences with 45 Major Updates at SPARK 2026
Tencent Games revealed 45 major updates at its SPARK 2026 conference, focusing on development, publishing, and investments. The event highlighted new IP collaborations, cross-platform experiences, and technological innovations across various titles including League of Legends, Arena Breakout: Infinite, Arma Reforger, and CONTROL Resonant. Updates also covered new game launches, expansions, and collaborations with brands like Persona 5 Royal and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute.
Maverick Games Teases a Trailer With a Livestream of a Countdown
Developer Maverick Games has begun teasing an upcoming trailer for its narrative-led open-world driving game, with a livestream countdown currently set for over five days. The studio, founded by former Playground Games veterans, previously had a publishing agreement with Amazon Games, which was terminated earlier this year. Maverick Games is now in discussions with other publishers and expects to share more information later this year.
'People want MMOs', says veteran designer Jack Emmert, it's the publishers chasing WoW-level scope that…
Veteran designer Jack Emmert believes players still want MMOs, citing the sales of New World as proof, but argues that publishers' pursuit of WoW-level scope and budget leads to failure. He suggests that a more focused vision and reasonable expectations are key to creating successful new MMOs, rather than trying to replicate existing giants.
Sunday Postmortems/Retrospectives
The design lead of a major competitor to Half-Life stated that its publisher was so dissatisfied with the game's progress that proper testing was neglected before its launch. This resulted in negative press and criticism upon release.
The design lead of Half-Life's biggest competitor says that its publisher was so 'pissed off' by the time the game launched that it didn't bother testing it properly: 'We got trashed in the press because of bugs'
Robert M. Atkins, design lead for the 1998 first-person shooter Sin, revealed that its publisher Activision was upset with the developer Ritual Entertainment's formation of the Gathering of Developers publisher alliance. This strained relationship led to Activision allegedly not properly testing the game's gold master, resulting in significant bugs at launch that harmed its reception. The game also faced immense competition from Valve's Half-Life, which released shortly after.
Business and Finance
This opinion piece argues that the future of European game publishing lies in diversity rather than consolidation. It suggests that a fragmented market fosters innovation and competition, benefiting both developers and consumers.
Embracer to spin off major video game franchises and studios
Embracer Group is spinning off its major video game franchises and studios into a new publicly listed company called Fellowship Entertainment, set to launch in 2027. This move aims to provide sharper management focus and clearer accountability for its diverse portfolio. Fellowship Entertainment will house key IPs like Darksiders, Dead Island, and Tomb Raider, alongside studios such as 4A Games and Crystal Dynamics.
Wizards of the Coast ends partnership with Giant Skull
Wizards of the Coast has ended its publishing agreement with Giant Skull, resulting in the cancellation of an unannounced action-adventure game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. While the early concept was not pursued, Wizards of the Coast expressed respect for Giant Skull's team and indicated a willingness to consider future project proposals. This decision coincides with a broader reorganization at Wizards of the Coast, including the closure of its internal developer Atomic Arcade.
CI Games To Break Ties With Epic For Lords Of The Fallen II Publishing
CI Games has announced the termination of its publishing partnership with Epic Games for Lords of the Fallen II. While the companies will continue to cooperate on Unreal Engine and other services, this move allows CI Games to potentially publish the sequel on multiple PC storefronts. CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski hinted at changes regarding the game's distribution.
Business and Finance
GOG has introduced support for Czech Crowns and regional pricing. Additionally, Nexon has extended its publishing partnerships for the FC Franchise in Korea with Electronic Arts and for Dungeon&Fighter with Tencent.
Nexon Q1 net income rises 118% to $360.7m
Nexon reported a 118% year-over-year increase in net income for the first quarter, reaching $360.7 million, driven by strong performance from Embark Studios' Arc Raiders and the MapleStory franchise. The company also announced a ten-year publishing partnership extension with Tencent for Dungeon & Fighter in China.
Chorus Worldwide and Indie-us Games to Co-Exhibit at BitSummit PUNCH, Featuring Five Titles Including the Just-Released Coffee Talk Tokyo
Chorus Worldwide and Indie-us Games will co-exhibit at BitSummit PUNCH, showcasing five titles including the newly released Coffee Talk Tokyo. The joint booth will also feature three new publishing announcements and exclusive giveaways for titles like UNDEFEATED: Genesis, Flowers for You, Moses & Plato: Last Train to Clawville, and Kernel Hearts.
Business and Finance
Silver Lining Interactive is adopting a new 'pick and mix' publishing approach, signaling a shift away from traditional models. This move suggests a changing landscape in how game publishers operate and interact with developers.