Annapurna Interactive

Annapurna Interactive is a developer and publisher.

Annapurna Interactive Webpage, Facebook

A branch of the U.S.-based company Annapurna Pictures focused on publishing and producing video games. Annapurna Interactive, founded in December 2016, publishes games across PCs, consoles, and mobile platforms.

Annapurna Interactive as a game publisher

The first games released by Annapurna Interactive were released in 2017. Notable titles from Annapurna Interactive include What Remains of Edith Finch by Giant Sparrow, the PC and mobile versions of Flower by thatgamecompany, and the inventive puzzle game Gorogoa by Buried Signal. In 2018, Annapurna Interactive released Florence, created by the designer behind the hit Monument Valley, as well as the widely acclaimed Gone Home from The Fullbright Company, which was made available on Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms. In 2019, Annapurna Interactive released Telling Lies by Sam Barlow, the creator of the hit game Her Story.

Additionally, 2019 brought the release of the original thriller 12 Minutes, developed by Luis Antonio. The game launched in August 2021, drawing attention with its star-studded cast, including James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe. Earlier in 2020, Annapurna Interactive announced it would publish Solar Ash, Heart Machine’s follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter.

Among the many games Annapurna Interactive released in the following years, the bestseller Stray stands out. In this action-adventure game, players take on the role of a cat exploring a cyberpunk city populated entirely by robots.

Annapurna Interactive as a game developer

At the end of October 2020, Annapurna Interactive revealed that it had launched its very own game development studio. In June 2022, Annapurna Interactive announced that Chelsea Hash would take its helm. The studio's first project was?Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.

History of Annapurna Interactive

Beginnings and dynamic growth

On December 1, 2016, Annapurna Pictures, known for its work in film, theater, and television, officially entered the video game industry. The Annapurna Interactive division, created specifically for video games, was staffed with both existing company employees and veterans from Sony Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

When Annapurna Interactive was formed, the company announced it would focus on publishing “personal, emotional, and original” games from indie developers. In May 2020, Nathan Vella, former president of Capybara Games - known for Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes and Below - joined Annapurna Interactive.

Beginning of development

After almost four years of successful work, in October 2020, Annapurna Interactive revealed that it had launched its own internal development studio. At that point, the studio was actively searching for talent to fill key roles within the team. The first details about the studio’s debut game came in 2023, when Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth – a sci-fi adventure set in the Blade Runner universe – was officially revealed.

In November 2023, Annapurna Interactive completed its first-ever acquisition. The studio it acquired was South Africa’s 24 Bit Games, previously involved in supporting projects like Gone Home, Neon White, and Cocoon.

Big problems

At the end of August 2024, Annapurna Pictures revealed a partnership with Remedy Entertainment, set to produce Control 2 and develop adaptations of the Alan Wake and Control universes for film, TV, and other audiovisual formats. Interestingly, the announcement omitted Annapurna Interactive. As it turned out shortly later – not without reason.

Unofficial reports from Bloomberg and IGN suggested that things behind the scenes were literally boiling over. According to these reports, Annapurna Interactive was in talks with Annapurna Pictures to become a standalone company (provisionally called Verset), which would keep sharing revenue from existing projects with Annapurna Pictures while also gaining the freedom to sign new, independent deals. Unfortunately, these negotiations reportedly hit a standstill. Meanwhile, Annapurna Pictures was reportedly preparing to set up its own in-house team focused on AAA projects. Once that new team was in place, Annapurna Interactive would shift its focus entirely to independent games.

Because Annapurna Pictures didn’t loop Annapurna Interactive in on these plans, the whole Verset team handed in their resignations in the first half of September 2024. Still, Annapurna Interactive itself continued running, honoring its existing agreements under the leadership of Hector Sanchez. Even though the entire development team of Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth resigned, the project was planned to move forward.