Devolver Digital Opens New Studio Dedicated To Licensed Games With Disney, Lionsgate, And More

Summary

• Big Fan Games is a new subsidiary of Devolver Digital, focusing on indie-made licensed games.
• Big Fan wants to help indie studios create video game adaptations of movies, comics, TV shows, and more.
• The team has previously worked on franchises like Star Wars, Dune, Hellboy, and Lord of the Rings.

Devolver Digital has unveiled a new studio, Big Fan Games, which will focus on publishing licensed games. Big Fan says that it wants to help indie studios "breathe new life" into existing IPs, such as films, comics, and TV shows, through video game adaptations.

The team behind the new studio lists the previous partners it's worked with, including Disney, Dark Horse Comics, Rebellion, and Lionsgate. Big Fan says that it is "actively working" with these companies now, already planning more licensed games with indie studios.

Big Fan Calls Itself A "Curated Indie Publishing Label" That "Puts Fans First"

"When it comes to 'licensed games', we think there’s room for a new approach. One where indie developers get to make the call. To take some risks and explore unique ideas that aren’t dictated by spreadsheets," reads the announcement from Big Fan Games. " We formed Big Fan to help make that dream a reality."

The team says that it has a history of working with huge IPs, including Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Evil Dead, Dune, and more. It's suggested that we can expect to see more collaborations between Big Fan and the partners it has worked with in the past, letting indie devs work on huge franchises.

Further still, Big Fan encourages anyone to reach out with ideas for a licensed game. "Have a favorite game you’ve always dreamed of rebooting or a cult classic film or book you'd love to see adapted into a game? We’d love to hear from you," the studio says.

2024 Has Quietly Been An All-Timer Year For Indies

A quieter year for triple-A made room for indie games to make some noise.

It remains to be seen what IPs Big Fan works with first, and what indie games can see the light of day with this new studio working as the middle man. It would certainly be a unique approach to greenlighting licensed games, as traditionally, these have gone to the highest bidders - more often than not, huge triple-A studios.

Famously - or rather, infamously - Electronic Arts had a ten-year exclusivity deal on Star Wars games. This blocked all other studios from working on the series, limiting the kind of licensed Star Wars games we got. Now, Disney is listed as a partner of Big Fan, so it's very possible that indie studios will be able to access Star Wars and other big franchises.

Right now, Big Fan has no projects to announce. It isn't clear what its first game will be, but with partners already lined up, we may not have to wait too long to find out.

Devolver Digital