Luca Galante, the mastermind behind Vampire Survivors, is opening his wallet to help other indie developers. The UK-based poncle studio announced plans for a new publishing label focused on supporting small teams with more than just money.
During a recent interview with GamesRadar, Galante didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the current publishing landscape. He criticized companies that “exploit the platforms just to make money” by releasing unfinished games and abandoning them when sales disappoint.
“Too many publishers push games into early access or launch them incomplete, then walk away if they don’t immediately blow up,” Galante explained. His new label promises a different approach built on three key principles.
First, the label will only back “genuine games” that offer real value to players. Second, Galante accepts that “not everything can be a breakout hit” and won’t expect every title to match Vampire Survivors’ wild success. Third, and perhaps most importantly, poncle commits to providing post-launch support “regardless of how the game would go.”
For context, Vampire Survivors started as a $3 early access title in December 2021. The minimalist roguelike about surviving endless waves of monsters exploded into a phenomenon with tens of millions of players across PC, Xbox, Switch, and mobile. It won BAFTA’s Best Game award in 2023 and continues receiving free updates alongside paid DLC.
Galante describes the publishing venture as a way to “share the luck” from his game’s unexpected success. While he hasn’t revealed the label’s name, funding amounts, or submission process, the philosophy is clear. Developers can expect realistic expectations and ongoing support rather than the typical “launch and pray” approach.
Joining the cool kids’ publishing club
The move places poncle alongside other successful indies turned publishers. Innersloth (Among Us) created Outersloth to fund external projects. Playtonic launched Playtonic Friends. Pocketpair and Owlcat Games recently announced similar initiatives. These studios leverage their experience and audience reach to help smaller teams navigate an increasingly crowded market.
What developers really need from publishers goes beyond funding. Marketing muscle, platform relationships, porting assistance, and visibility remain the biggest challenges for indie games drowning in weekly release floods. Whether poncle’s commitment to long-term support can survive the financial reality of underperforming titles remains to be seen.
