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Annapurna Interactive
Video game publisher From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Annapurna Games, LLC (trade name: Annapurna Interactive) is an American video game publisher and developer. The company was founded in 2016 as a division of Annapurna Pictures. It focuses on publishing innovative and emotive indie games. Notable video games published by Annapurna Interactive include What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), Donut County (2018), Outer Wilds (2019), Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019), Wattam (2019), Telling Lies (2019), Kentucky Route Zero (2020), Neon White (2022) and Stray (2022).
In 2020 Annapurna launched an internal development studio with its first project being the upcoming Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.
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The company was founded as a division of Annapurna Pictures on December 1, 2016 to expand into the video game industry. Its early staff was composed of existing Annapurna executives, producer Neale Hemrajani, technology head James Masi along with several video game veterans, including Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, and Jeff Legaspi, who had worked in Sony Interactive Entertainment's Santa Monica Studio and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.[2] Jenova Chen was the company's advisor. The company aimed to publish games that are "personal, emotional, and original".[3][4] Annapurna Interactive acquired games that were in development at Santa Monica Studio's external development division, including What Remains of Edith Finch and Wattam.[3]
On the day of establishment, the company announced several publishing deals it had signed with several independent developers. Some of the first games published by the company included Gorogoa, What Remains of Edith Finch, Wattam, and Florence.[5] In 2017, Annapurna announced that it would begin publishing more games, which included The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Telling Lies.[6][7][8]
2020–2023: Game development and film studio
In October 2020, Annapurna established an internal development studio in Los Angeles.[9] Also in 2020, Annapurna signed a multi-year publishing agreement with Swedish studio Simogo.[10]
Leading into the COVID-19 pandemic, Annapurna Pictures had been struggling with financial issues, and its CEO Megan Ellison had stepped back while her father Larry Ellison helped to stabilize the company and other executives departed.[11] Megan Ellison eventually reappeared around 2021, and promoted Gary to president of Annapurna Pictures, while Mars and Nathan Vella, former president of Capybara Games, were promoted to co-manage Annapurna Interactive.[12][13][14] According to sources speaking to IGN, Gary's management put more resources into the gaming division, as well as promoting Masi to chief administration officer for Annapurna Pictures. Gary also claimed to have established Annapurna Animation, an animation division of Annapurna Pictures, with their premiere work being Nimona, though other sources stated this had been credited to Ellison. As a result, there was a matter of distrust between Ellison and Annapurna Interactive, leading to a hands-off approach for the publisher to continue to group.[12]
Two limited edition box sets containing the games Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, and Gorogoa were released in collaboration with iam8bit for the PlayStation 4 in late 2020.[15] A similar limited edition box set was released for the Nintendo Switch in late 2023.[16]
In June 2022, Annapurna announced the formation of an internal game development studio headed by Chelsea Hash.[17] Its first game, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, was announced in 2023.[18]
In November 2023, Annapurna Interactive made its first acquisition in South African studio 24 Bit Games, a studio which had provided support for other indie games such as Gone Home, Neon White, and Cocoon.[19]
2024–present: Mass resignations, Remedy Entertainment partnership, and game releases
In March 2024, the company's staff were informed that Masi's role was considered unnecessary and that Gary would be the head of Annapurna Interactive despite him also leaving the company. Some staff resigned as a result but later returned along with Masi and Gary to discuss a spin-off of the company that would be able to sign deals independent of Annapurna in addition to overseeing existing Annapurna Interactive projects.[12]
In August 2024, Annapurna Pictures signed a partnership deal with Remedy Entertainment to co-finance the development of Control 2 along with getting the television and film rights to Control and Alan Wake. The deal was negotiated by Sanchez, after leaving Epic Games, who was rehired to lead a new division for AAA and AA games at Annapurna Pictures, while Annapurna Interactive would remain focused on indie games.[12][20] At the end of August, Annapurna Interactive’s 25-person staff resigned in a joint resignation letter with two weeks notice after spin-off discussions were stalled then ended.[12][21][22] Further attempts to reengage Ellison on the spin-off did not receive interest.[12]
Sanchez met with developers on several projects afterward who were frustrated with the situation and stated that Annapurna would fulfill its contractual obligations through backfilling roles and working with outside agencies.[12][21] Some developers with projects under Annapurna Interactive, including Davey Wreden and C418, and Beethoven & Dinosaur stated their forthcoming or planned games were not affected.[23][24] Annapurna announced that development of Silent Hill: Townfall and Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth would continue.[12][25]
In January 2025, Leanne Loombe joined Annapurna Interactive as executive vice president and head of games.[26] Annapurna released Wanderstop in March 2025, developed by Ivy Road and composed by C418.[27] In April 2025, Lushfoil Photography Sim and first person shooter Skin Deep were released by Annapurna. To a T, with development led by Keita Takahashi was released in May.[28] The adventure-racing title Wheel World was released during summer 2025.[29]
In 2025, Annapurna Interactive announced a publishing deal with The Lego Group via the title Lego Voyagers, developed by Light Brick Studios.[30]
At the Tokyo Game Show in 2025, Annapurna revealed three new games: puzzle-adventure D-topia developed by Marumittu Games, People of Note a turn-based RPG musical by Iridium Studios, and Demi and the Fractured Dream from developer Yarn Owl.[31]
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