A fresh entrant to the video‑game publishing arena, PUBLSH, has been launched by a group of former executives from the marketing firm Petrol. The company’s inaugural offering is the episodic detective adventure Pera Coda, a title that draws clear inspiration from the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium.
The game is being crafted by the Turkish development house Elyzio, together with its internal studio branch, Falan Studio. Based out of California, PUBLSH was co‑founded in 2025 by chief executive officer Ben Granados and chief strategy officer Samuel Clarke. Granados brings to the table a solid background in the gaming sector, having previously co‑founded Petrol, an agency that has partnered with a roster of heavyweight publishers and IP owners such as Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, CD Projekt, Epic Games, Game Science, Krafton, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Tencent. This extensive network gives PUBLSH a unique perspective on the needs of developers and the expectations of the market.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Clarke explained that PUBLSH identified a gap in the publishing landscape: the need for "experienced, collaborative and flexible" assistance that blends traditional publishing services with an advertising‑industry mindset. The firm intends to provide direct project investments, bespoke financing structures, and hands‑on guidance while allowing developers to retain creative autonomy.
According to Clarke, the company is currently capitalised by its founders but is "considering bringing in a small group of outside investors who share our long‑term vision for the business." Clarke further articulated PUBLSH’s overarching philosophy as delivering "publisher‑level leadership without publisher‑level control." He emphasized that the firm will be "deliberately selective, highly collaborative and deeply embedded with the teams we partner with," positioning itself as a true partner rather than a distant overseer. The internal team boasts expertise across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including product and portfolio strategy, business development, financing, platform negotiations, distribution channels, audience cultivation, marketing, communications, and go‑to‑market execution.
Looking ahead, PUBLSH plans to publish roughly four to five titles each year, a deliberately modest slate designed to ensure that each project receives substantial attention and resources. The publisher will focus on games with development budgets under $20 million, believing that this range allows for meaningful operational bandwidth and deeper investment in each studio.
"We want enough operational space to invest deeply in every studio we partner with," Clarke said. "We’d rather add high value to five development partners and games than be one of twenty partners on twenty games." Pera Coda, slated for a PC release in 2027, combines point‑and‑click investigative mechanics with a strong emphasis on psychological storytelling.
The game’s design aims to immerse players in a richly atmospheric world where every decision influences the narrative’s emotional tone. Granados noted that the team evaluated numerous potential launch titles before selecting Pera Coda, saying, "We looked at a lot of great games to lean into with our new approach to publishing, and Pera Coda stood out to us immediately for having a voice of its own." He added that Elyzio’s creation "is atmospheric and intriguing, with storytelling that just felt fresh and compelling to us. We knew we wanted to work with this team and help bring their unique vision to players around the world." This endorsement underscores PUBLSH’s commitment to championing distinctive, narrative‑driven experiences that might otherwise struggle to find a publishing home.
Beyond the debut title, PUBLSH’s strategy includes cultivating long‑term relationships with indie studios that possess strong artistic identities but lack the financial muscle or industry connections to scale their projects. By offering flexible financing options, strategic guidance, and marketing muscle, PUBLSH hopes to become a catalyst for innovative games that push the medium forward. The company’s hybrid background in advertising and gaming positions it to navigate both the creative and commercial aspects of game launches, ensuring that titles receive the visibility they deserve without compromising the developers’ vision.
In summary, PUBLSH enters the market with a clear mission: to act as a supportive, hands‑on partner that supplies the leadership and resources typical of a major publisher while deliberately avoiding the heavy‑handed control that can stifle creativity. With Pera Coda as its first showcase, the firm aims to prove that this balanced approach can produce compelling, high‑quality experiences for gamers worldwide. The upcoming release in 2027 will serve as a litmus test for PUBLSH’s model, and if successful, could signal a new paradigm for how independent studios bring their stories to a global audience.