Thatgamecompany, the creative force behind acclaimed titles such as Flow, Flower, Journey, and the more recent Sky: Children of the Light, has announced the formation of a new publishing division called Thatgamepublisher. This move follows a growing pattern in the indie sector where studios that achieve breakout success leverage their newfound resources to help other independent developers bring their visions to market. Recent examples include Innersloth, the creators of Among Us, which launched Outersloth in 2024 to back games like Clickolding and The Horror at Highrook; Kinetic Games, the team behind Phasmophobia, which started Kinetic Publishing and is now supporting projects such as Precognition from Sam Barlow; Pocketpair, known for Palworld, which introduced Pocketpair Publishing; and Landfall Games, the studio behind Peak, which now operates the Evil Landfall label.
The trend underscores a shift in how indie studios view their role in the broader ecosystem: rather than remaining isolated creators, they are becoming enablers for peers. Jenova Chen, co‑founder of Thatgamecompany, explains the logic behind the shift: "When an indie title that was built on a shoestring budget suddenly becomes a massive hit, you end up with a surplus of cash but a small team that isn’t set up to become a large corporation. The sensible place to allocate that money is into something you understand—other indie games.
That's why many indie studios are moving into publishing." The financial reality was stark for Thatgamecompany back in 2012 when Journey launched. Chen has recounted that the development of Journey nearly bankrupted the studio and forced a wave of layoffs. Fast‑forward to today, Sky: Children of the Light, released in 2019, has generated extraordinary revenue—particularly in the Chinese market—and even inspired a feature film.
The profits from Sky now give Thatgamecompany the runway to invest in what it calls "emotionally ambitious" games, a category that aligns with the studio’s own artistic philosophy. Beyond the financial upside, Chen points out a fundamental change in how games reach audiences.
In the early 2010s, distribution channels were dominated by platform holders like PlayStation. Today, distribution is largely player‑driven; influencers and community members act as the primary promoters. "A successful indie title can have millions of players who become its most powerful distribution network," Chen says.
"If those players love a certain type of experience, they’ll seek out similar games, giving indie publishers a direct line to a highly engaged audience." Thatgamecompany also highlights a unique demographic advantage: a substantial female player base. Roughly 70 % of Sky’s audience identifies as female, a proportion that surpasses many other developers. Chen believes this creates a distinct overlap for games that appeal to both genders, especially for titles that might attract newcomers to gaming.
While the exact slate of games under Thatgamepublisher remains under wraps, Chen shared the publisher’s overarching vision in a press release: "When we first began making games, many questioned whether interactive experiences could move players as deeply as film, literature, or music. Over the years, we’ve seen games forge lifelong friendships, heal personal struggles, reconnect loved ones, and restore hope.
Those moments convinced us that games can touch lives profoundly. Thatgamepublisher exists because we believe countless creators worldwide are exploring new emotional frontiers, and we want to help bring those visions to life." SJ Xue, Thatgamecompany’s vice‑president of growth and corporate development and the leader of the publishing effort, elaborated on the type of projects the studio is seeking.
He emphasized that the publisher is not confined by genre, platform, or team size. "We’re open to solo developers with bold ideas as well as larger teams capable of AA‑level production. What matters is whether the game reaches for meaningful emotional territory and uses interactivity to guide players there," Xue explained. He added that emotional impact can take many forms—joy, chaos, humor—as long as the experience lingers after the console is turned off.
In contrast to many indie publishers that limit themselves to funding, Thatgamepublisher is positioning itself as a full‑service partner. The studio will offer financing, production planning, platform strategy, marketing, community management, and long‑term IP development.
Xue noted that the terms of each deal will be tailored to the project’s needs, with flexibility around revenue splits, recoupment schedules, and service bundles. "As developers ourselves, we understand the importance of fair, transparent, and developer‑friendly partnerships," he said.
The broader industry is moving toward modular publishing models, where developers pick and choose the services they require. Luke Keighran of Silver Lining Interactive observed that the traditional, one‑size‑fits‑all publishing model is effectively dead. Thatgamepublisher, however, believes that emotionally ambitious projects often benefit from a more integrated approach. By staying involved across creative development, production, positioning, marketing, community engagement, and platform strategy, the publisher aims to protect the emotional core of each game and guide it from concept to player.
Xue summed up the philosophy driving the new venture: "Games can connect people through shared emotional experiences and bring out the best in us. That belief has shaped everything we’ve made—from Flow and Flower to Journey and Sky. We know that the path to creating emotionally resonant games is bigger than any single studio. Around the world, creators are pushing the boundaries of what games can make us feel, and we want to help those ideas find their way to players." He further explained how Thatgamepublisher intends to nurture projects: "Emotionally ambitious games often need a different playbook.
The heart of a project may not be obvious at the outset; it can emerge through prototypes, iteration, quiet discoveries, and the right creative conversations. Our role is to protect that process, giving developers the space, guidance, and alignment they need to discover the strongest version of their work." Drawing on its own experience running Sky: Children of the Light—a live‑service title that has amassed over 300 million downloads and sustained global operations for seven years—Thatgamecompany believes it has the expertise to scale heartfelt experiences without diluting their impact. "By understanding the emotional truth of each game, building from its players and community, and allowing genuine resonance to create scale over time, we aim to help every project reach farther while staying true to the feeling at its heart," Xue concluded.
In short, Thatgamepublisher represents an evolution for Thatgamecompany: from a studio that crafts singular, emotionally driven experiences to a partner that empowers other creators to do the same, leveraging financial resources, distribution insight, and a deep commitment to the emotional power of play.