Exodus at Annapurna Interactive After Failed Independence Talks

Following the collapse of negotiations with its parent company, a significant portion of the Annapurna Interactive team has resigned. Established in 2016 as a subsidiary of Annapurna Pictures, the publisher has seen success with titles such as Stray, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Outer Wilds. However, as Annapurna Pictures reassesses its gaming strategy, the Interactive division sought independence. Led by Nathan Gary, the talks ultimately ended in failure, prompting the departure of key personnel, including the heads of Annapurna Interactive and over two dozen staff members, as reported by Bloomberg. Despite this setback, Annapurna Interactive had planned to release over a dozen indie games in the next two years, including a Silent Hill title. The company has assured continued support for these projects, albeit with the need to replace departed staff or outsource functions such as marketing, localization, QA, PR, and platform relations. Annapurna's goal to integrate gaming with its film and TV operations has led to strategic moves, including the rehiring of Hector Sanchez as president of interactive and new media, and a recent deal with Remedy for the TV and movie rights to the Control and Alan Wake series, which includes co-financing upcoming Control games.