Kepler Interactive
 | |
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 29, 2021 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Alexis Garavaryan (CEO) |
| Website | kepler-interactive |
Kepler Interactive is a video game publisher founded in September 2021. Based in London and Singapore, it is co-owned by a group of independent game developers. Its published games include Tchia, Scorn, and Sifu.
History
[edit]Kepler Interactive was founded in September 2021 by CEO Alexis Garavaryan, the co-founder behind Kowloon Nights, a game development fund.[2] Self-described as a "super developer" publishing group, Kepler was initially co-owned by seven independent studios: A44 (known for developing Ashen), Alpha Channel, Awaceb, Ebb Software, Shapefarm, Sloclap (known for developing Absolver) and Timberline Studio. Each participating studio had "equal say" on the publishing label's decision-making process and were able to share resources and financial gains, but Kepler itself will not interefere with the operations of each studio, allowing them to stay independent.[3][4] Kepler received $120 million in funding from Chinese gaming company NetEase, which became a minority shareholder.[1] The studio's revenue reached $50 million in 2022, boosted by the release of Ebb Software's Scorn and Sloclap's Sifu.[5]
In 2023, Kepler also launched Kepler Ghost, a white-label publishing service, providing marketing and publishing for game developers. Eternights from Studio Sai was the first video game project to benefit from this program.[6] Additional developers, including The Gentlebros (the developer behind the Cat Quest series) and new studio Sandfall Interactive also joined Kepler.[5] It also partnered with Ironwood Studios for the publishing and release of Pacific Drive.[7]
Games published
[edit]| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Developer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sifu | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Sloclap | |
| Scorn | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Ebb Software | ||
| 2023 | Tchia | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Awaceb | |
| 2024 | Ultros | Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | Hadoque | [8] |
| Pacific Drive | Windows, PlayStation 5 | Ironwood Studios | ||
| Cat Quest III | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | The Gentlebros | ||
| Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | A44 | ||
| 2025 | Bionic Bay | Windows, PlayStation 5 | Mureena, Psychoflow Studio | [9] |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Sandfall Interactive | [10] |
Games published via Kepler Ghost
[edit]| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Developer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Eternights | Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5 | Studio Sai | |
| En Garde! | Windows | Fireplace Games | ||
| Apocalypse Party | Windows | Breaker Games | ||
| Battle Shapers | Windows | Metric Empire | ||
| 2024 | Windblown | Windows | Motion Twin | [11] |
| Unrailed 2: Back on Track | Windows, macOS, Linux | Indoor Astronaut | [12] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mukherjee, Supantha (September 28, 2023). "Gaming company Kepler raises $120 mln from China's NetEase". Reuters. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Partis, Danielle (September 29, 2021). "Publisher Kepler Interactive launches, raises $120m". Gameindustry.biz. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Partis, Danielle (October 14, 2021). "Introducing Kepler Interactive, a publisher run by independent developers". Gameindustry.biz. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Denzer, TJ (September 28, 2021). "Kepler Interactive 'super developer' publisher group formed with $120m in funding". Shacknews. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Kaser, Rachel (March 17, 2023). "Kepler Interactive begins 2023 with new partnerships". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Rousseau, Jeffery (March 17, 2023). "Kepler Interactive hits $50m in 2022 and unveils new partnerships". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (June 10, 2023). "Pacific Drive to be published by Kepler Interactive". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ Donnelly, Joe (2024-02-12). "Ultros review: 'A drop-dead gorgeous head trip of a Metroidvania game set in a cosmic uterus sarcophagus'". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ Reuben, Nic. "Cinematic platformer Bionic Bay is incredibly impressive even beyond its 250,000 pixel trees". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah (June 10, 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 From Sandfall Interactive Announced for 2025". IGN. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (2023-12-08). "Dead Cells creators Motion Twin reveal cute and gory new roguelike Windblown". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2023-11-30). "Unrailed! 2: Back on Track announced for PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
