Curve Games has announced a new publishing partnership with the independent studio Wayfinder Studios to bring the online cooperative role‑playing game Wyldheart to a broader audience. The collaboration marks a significant step for both companies as they aim to expand the reach of a title that has already generated considerable buzz among gamers. Stuart Dinsey, the chief executive officer of Curve Games, explained that the firm is actively seeking to make bold investments in unique, high‑quality games and in talented indie developers. He described Wyldheart as a prime illustration of the direction Curve wants to pursue, emphasizing that the game’s blend of cooperative gameplay, rich world‑building, and distinctive artistic style aligns perfectly with the publisher’s strategic goals.
The partnership is also a key milestone in Curve Games’ post‑acquisition roadmap. After being bought by Nazara Technologies in May of the previous year for £21.7 million, Curve has been charting a course that includes expanding its portfolio with titles that stand out in a crowded market.
By joining forces with Wayfinder, Curve hopes to leverage its publishing expertise, marketing resources, and distribution channels to amplify Wyldheart’s visibility and commercial success. Wayfinder Studios, based in Sweden, was founded in 2020 by a group of veterans from EA DICE. The founding team includes former creative director Dennis Brännvall, former studio director Fia Tjernberg, as well as DICE alumni Manne Ederyd and Adam Clark.
Their collective experience in large‑scale, high‑budget projects gave them a deep understanding of game development pipelines, yet they chose to embark on an indie venture that could explore fresh ideas without the constraints often found in AAA environments. Wyldheart, Wayfinder’s debut title, has already attracted a sizable following. On Steam, the game has accumulated more than 375,000 wishlists, indicating strong anticipation from the community.
Additionally, the developers successfully raised €248,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, demonstrating both fan enthusiasm and confidence in the project’s vision. "We've been incredibly fortunate with the response to Wyldheart so far, and finding the right partner to help us build on that momentum was really important to us," Brännvall said in a recent interview.
He highlighted that Curve’s rapid grasp of the game’s core concepts, target audience, and the studio’s long‑term aspirations was a decisive factor in choosing the publisher. "What stood out about Curve was how quickly they understood what we're trying to make, who we're making it for, and the kind of studio we want Wayfinder to be. We're excited to have them alongside us as we take Wyldheart into its next chapter," he added. Fia Tjernberg, Wayfinder’s studio director, has previously explained the team’s motivation for tackling a genre that she feels has seen limited innovation.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, she noted that many AAA titles tend to cater to a fan base that prefers familiar formulas over experimental mechanics. "Pretty much all of us have worked at AAA, where the fanbase doesn't really want innovation.
They want familiar, they want what they are used to from other games," she observed. The developers are particularly interested in creating persistent worlds that combine the social aspects of massive multiplayer online games with the intimacy of private servers. Their vision is not to build a massive shard supporting tens of thousands of players, but rather to offer a more personal experience akin to running a private Minecraft or Valheim server. In this model, small groups of friends can explore, quest, and shape the game world together, fostering a tight‑knit community and allowing for deeper player agency.
By partnering with Curve Games, Wayfinder hopes to realize this vision on a larger scale while retaining the boutique feel of a private server environment. Curve’s expertise in publishing, combined with its financial backing from Nazara Technologies, is expected to provide the necessary infrastructure for marketing, localization, and platform distribution.
This support should enable Wayfinder to focus on polishing the game's mechanics, expanding its content, and nurturing the community that has already shown strong interest. Looking ahead, both companies anticipate that Wyldheart will evolve through regular updates, new story expansions, and community‑driven events.
The collaborative effort aims to maintain the game's core identity—co‑op adventure in a fantastical realm—while introducing fresh challenges and features that keep players engaged over the long term. The partnership also opens the door for potential future collaborations between Curve and other innovative indie studios, reinforcing Curve’s commitment to championing distinctive, creative experiences in the gaming industry. In summary, the alliance between Curve Games and Wayfinder Studios represents a strategic alignment of publishing strength and indie creativity.
With a solid foundation of experienced developers, a promising title that has already captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands, and a publisher eager to invest in groundbreaking projects, Wyldheart is poised to make a significant impact on the online cooperative RPG landscape.