Blake Rochkind on Leaving Private Division and Launching Lyrical Games

Blake Rochkind, the former head of business development at Private Division, left the company after almost five years. He has since launched Lyrical Games, a new independent games publisher. Rochkind stated that his departure from Private Division was a natural decision, citing the significant changes the company underwent during his tenure. Private Division was sold to Haveli Investments in November, and the publisher was later renamed Fictions. Rochkind expressed his desire to create a new and different entity with Lyrical Games, rather than simply recreating Private Division. The new publisher aims to focus on high-quality, indie games with a budget range of several million dollars. Lyrical Games has already signed three titles, including the next game from Homeworld 3 developer Blackbird Interactive. Rochkind emphasized the importance of collaboration and transparency in the publisher's approach, with the goal of supporting developer partners while maintaining a lean and experienced team. The company has significant backing and plans to prioritize quality over quantity in its publishing endeavors.