Dieter Schoeller Discusses Headup's Departure from Thunderful

In a recent development, Thunderful sold Headup for €500,000, marking the end of a three-year acquisition period. According to Dieter Schoeller, the founder and CEO of Headup, the decision to part ways was driven by a shift in the company's priorities. Schoeller notes that Thunderful underwent significant changes, establishing a new publishing department in the UK. This led to a potential two-label strategy, with Schoeller focusing on the indie side and the core business concentrating on larger productions in the UK. During this period, Thunderful experienced frequent leadership changes and numerous strategy adjustments. Schoeller himself changed roles, moving from VP of publishing to VP of production, which involved exploring various prototypes that became increasingly unconventional. In Schoeller's opinion, Headup's unique approach may have been too unconventional for a larger corporation like Thunderful, which aims to streamline its operations. The discussions regarding Headup's departure from Thunderful lasted approximately seven months, and Schoeller confirms that the separation was amicable. Despite no longer having access to Thunderful's resources, Headup is not struggling. The company has spun off its development studio, Goon Squad, and has several projects in the pipeline, including the racing game Screw Drivers, which is currently in early access. Schoeller emphasizes that the decision to sell Headup was not due to financial difficulties but rather a favorable market. He prioritized his team's needs, aiming to provide them with the opportunity to work on larger projects and showcase their talent. However, Schoeller discovered that working on bigger productions is not necessarily more enjoyable. He found that smaller titles with smaller teams can be more rewarding, as they offer a more relaxed and flexible environment. Schoeller prefers to work with passionate developers at the grassroots level, where there is a genuine love for the medium, albeit with limited business acumen. He aims to provide these developers with the necessary market knowledge to succeed while keeping Headup in the background. Ultimately, Schoeller wants to enable studios and their titles to take center stage, allowing him to support them from behind the scenes and help them reach their audience.