Journey Developer Thatgamecompany Launches Publishing Arm Thatgamepublisher

Thatgamecompany, the renowned studio behind titles such as Journey, Flow, Flower, and Sky: Children of the Light, has announced the launch of a new publishing arm called thatgamepublisher. Buoyed by the financial success of Sky: Children of the Light, the studio is moving to invest its profits into championing other independent creators who strive to make games that move people through play.

Co-founder Jenova Chen explained that the move follows an increasingly common industry pattern where successful indie studios experience an overflow of cash and choose to reinvest it into other creators rather than expanding into massive corporate structures. Chen noted that while making 2012's Journey nearly bankrupted the studio, Sky: Children of the Light has achieved immense success since its 2019 release, enabling the company to fund outside projects. Furthermore, Chen highlighted that the modern distribution network is largely driven by players and influencers rather than traditional retail outlets or major media platforms, giving indie studios unique reach and leverage.

Led by SJ Xue, vice president of growth and corporate development at Thatgamecompany, thatgamepublisher is searching for titles that reach for meaningful emotional territory. According to Xue, traditional genre and platform restrictions will not apply, and the publishing division is open to teams of any size, ranging from solo developers to larger groups with AA-level budgets. The division operates as a full-service publisher offering funding, marketing, community management, production planning, and platform strategy, though flexibility remains available for developers requiring more modular arrangements.

Thatgamepublisher has already signed a couple of unannounced titles, though specific details regarding these games have not yet been revealed to the public.