Publisher Kepler Interactive has announced that its first full year of operation following its 2021 launch has seen impressive revenue and has also detailed its plans for 2023 and beyond. The publisher has seen revenues that exceed $50 million USD as the publisher details a robust, strategic roadmap for 2023 and beyond with new investments and publishing partnerships. Kepler Interactive is the first global publisher co-owned and run by creators.
In 2022, the publisher saw hugely successful launches from founding studios Ebb Software (Scorn) and Sloclap (Sifu). The multi-award nominated Sifu has managed to sell more than 1 million copies during its first three weeks and has since surpassed 2 million global sales ahead of its arrival on Xbox and Steam later this month. Apart from the strong $50+ million revenue in 2022, the publisher also saw significant cash generation, reaffirming the rationale for building a collective business model that harnesses the creativity and independence of its member studios.
Kepler Interactive has detailed a series of new partnerships to drive further growth in new markets with increased revenue and to expand its range of developer offerings. These include:
- Kepler Interactive reveals investment in award-winning Singapore-based studio The Gentlebros, creators of the million-selling Cat Quest franchise across PC, consoles, and mobile. Kepler is currently supporting on the Cat Quest back-catalog and adding valuable expertise in the mobile gaming space. It will also partner with The Gentlebros on future releases.
- Additionally, Kepler Interactive revealed a global publishing partnership with Montpellier-based Sandfall Interactive, a new studio focused on delivering incredible stories in gorgeous fantasy worlds. Sandfall’s debut game, an epic single-player narrative-driven adventure, is currently in development.
- Following the successful launches of Sifu and Scorn in China, Kepler Interactive will deepen its partnership with China-based marketing and PR agency IOI Gamer, which provides valuable boots-on-the-ground support in the market for Kepler’s portfolio of current and future titles.
Kepler Interactive is also building its creativity-first approach by launching a new suite of services for a curated set of games and studios. The company has unveiled a new white-label publishing service offering Kelper’s in-house best-in-class marketing and publishing talent at an industry-leading 15% base revenue share. The service empowers developers to remain self-published while building their own brand and community with support. Different white-label projects are currently underway including:
- Eternights, set to be self-published by Studio Sai with behind-the-scenes support from the Kepler publishing team,
- The unannounced debut game from Hadoque, the Swedish developer helmed by El Huervo, the renowned artist known for their work on the critically-acclaimed Hotline Miami series.
Apart from this, the publisher has also announced a new partnership with Kowloon Nights. The video-game fun will operate a new division within Kepler Interactive, funding even more exceptional developers across the world and empowering them to create games with complete creative freedom. The division’s first funded project from Seattle-based Aggro Crab will start development later this year. CEO Alexis Garavaryan at Kepler comments:
We started Kepler with the ambition to offer the best environment for exceptional teams to thrive. Last year’s results have validated this aspiration beyond our wildest expectations.
As we look forward to 2023 and beyond, our mission is to continue our growth into a leading entertainment company co-owned and run by creators. Nurturing a vibrant ecosystem around Kepler and beyond, offering total artistic independence, operational support, and cross-pollination between outstanding teams. This exceptional year set us on a trajectory where we can offer those services to a broader group of studios.
Since the studio’s inception, it has grown to over 300 employees and is currently headquartered in London. It also boasts achieving the Great Place to Work UK – Certified™ by the global authority on workplace culture. The next title by Kepler Interactive is Tchia which is releasing on March 21, 2023, on PC via Epic Games Store, PS4, and PS5, and the open-world action RPG Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn later in 2023.
For additional details, you can check out the official website of the publisher.
