Digital Bandidos shaped final yr as an indie recreation publishing firm simply as many publishers had been going out of enterprise.
Led by Steve Escalante and Lance James, the corporate has raised hundreds of thousands of {dollars} and helps to fill the hole and supply funding for indie recreation builders. It’s not a straightforward activity, contemplating 17,000 small video games debut in a given yr and recreation studios have been disappearing by the handfuls.
However with many years of expertise, Escalante mentioned in an interview with GamesBeat that his firm can present professional steerage and function scrappy outlaws who can struggle injustice on behalf of indie recreation builders — therefore the title Digital Bandidos.
“As an alternative of wielding a rapier, bow, or blaster, we feature many years of recreation publishing information and cutting-edge expertise. We intention to arm impartial builders to tackle the ever-more aggressive video games market—and win, the corporate’s internet web page says.
Escalante believes his firm can assist builders and perceive them as a result of they’ve been passionate avid gamers since childhood. Escalante needs to create a contemporary writer that offers with the massive challenges that builders are dealing with.
Unveiled in August 2024, Digital Bandidos was based by former workers of Versus Evil, together with founder and normal supervisor Escalante. The corporate not too long ago added CFO Richard Iwaniuk, advertising head Richard Iggo and communications supervisor James Batchelor.
Digital Bandidos is planning to take the cell recreation City of Salem 2, the sequel to a social deduction recreation, to current-generation PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Change consoles later this yr.
The corporate can be making ready updates on plenty of different initiatives on account of arrive in 2025 and past, together with the newest on Soulstone Survivors and the disclosing of a number of new video games in growth.
Digital Bandidos is a full-service writer at present on the lookout for PC and console titles with growth budgets of as much as $3 million. It focuses on role-playing, technique and motion video games, however is open to any style on any platform.
Robust vibes within the trade
“Clearly, there’s a really totally different vibe and somber tone. With the turmoil and the stuff that occurred after promoting Versus Evil final yr, we’ve been making an attempt to determine the issues of the trade,” Escalante mentioned. “What are the trade’s wants? What’s thrilling for me is getting again to speaking about recreation pitches and issues that may assist indies.”
Escalante famous that triple-A video games are nonetheless in a troublesome state, with the Warner Bros. and Ubisoft groups nonetheless having huge layoffs in 2025, when issues had been speculated to get higher. An estimated 35,000 recreation trade individuals have been laid off up to now three years.
“Indies are nonetheless not getting funded. These issues are nonetheless weighing fairly heavy on the trade proper now,” Escalante mentioned. “I’m speaking with so many groups and plenty of of them are operating out of cash.”
He famous it’s a giant deal that recreation engine makers Unity and Epic Video games gained’t have a lot presence on the present flooring at GDC this yr.
“That’s a recurring them. The publishers are gone. The devs have their rights again,” he mentioned.
Who wants a brand new writer?
The encouraging factor is that new publishers like Digital Bandidos and extra not too long ago Acclaim Leisure have been shaped. Escalante believes the basic duties of publishers don’t go away even throughout a downturn. These duties embrace offering funding, advertising, porting, growth assist and extra.
“Bandidos is absolutely centered on instruments and issues that we are able to do to assist the trade, to assist these guys which might be doing that,” Escalante mentioned. “We’re growing a few of that proper now. However I agree. The optimism of getting the publishers with the concept of funding is an effective signal, however, as I mentioned, we’re nonetheless seeing a number of the fallout of these publishers both not making it or operating out of cash.”
As for the latest Matthew Ball slide deck, Escalante had robust opinions. He spent numerous time in conferences up to now yr speaking concerning the challenges.
“What I actually proceed to see because the primary problem is the necessity for retention and post-launch help for video games,” Escalante mentioned. “Funding in fact has to occur first. There are numerous groups that can nonetheless get into the trenches and do it themselves. However the different problem is discovery, and never lots of people are speaking about that as a lot as I feel that they need to.”
Escalante mentioned Digital Bandidos is hyper centered on that discovery, retention and post-launch help. That helps video games promote extra models, and that’s vital. He famous that Epic Video games Retailer and Steam present some help, however they’re doing that for a fraction of the titles which might be launching.
“I feel group goes to be one of many strongest advertising instruments on the market for individuals, whether or not that’s leveraging Discord, whether or not that’s leveraging the extra grassroots sort locations. How do I have to be constructing that guerrilla advertising technique to basically construct out the strategy when it comes to how I get individuals excited a few recreation?”
Devs want to interrupt down the journey that they’re on with gamers, and the way they will get a flywheel of viral development going in the event that they plan a launch proper. Getting numerous wishlists are nice for a recreation, however they’re not a lot good in the event that they’re two years outdated.
“Triple-A corporations simply insert money and do an announcement on a giant stage. The indies are compelled to punch by utilizing guerrilla advertising,” Escalante mentioned. “They’re they’re compelled to announce two or three years out. A triple-An organization may even shadow drop a recreation on the day of launch.”
He added, “It’s been an fascinating journey for me as I’ve been questioning myself and the way we ship content material for our companions. We’ll speak extra about that sooner or later, however for indies, it’s been an uphill battle. How will we mitigate these dangers.”
Whereas there have been shock indie hits like Balatro and Animal Effectively, it’s nonetheless laborious to face out amongst 19,000 video games launched on Steam (2024 numbers).
Setting itself aside
Digital Bandidos has grown to seven individuals and it’s trying to keep small and agile. Certainly one of its titles, Soulstone Survivors is already out there and it has finished over one million models offered on the PC. Digital Bandidos will deal with the console launches. City of Salem 2 is coming, as is a brand new title dubbed Let Them Come Onslaught.
With one of many titles, Digital Bandidos hopes to advance the developer cash to get began on a brand new title whereas ready for the primary title to get off the bottom. Many of the new video games will probably be coming later this yr and early subsequent yr, Escalante mentioned.
Whereas new launches just like the upcoming Change 2 could possibly be engaging, Escalante is targeted on the platforms which have a giant put in base as we speak, like PlayStation 5. Escalante additionally hopes to take some titles like City of Salem to different platforms, like Telegram or Discord.
“I’ve by no means been one to draw back from a platform if it will increase my revenues by 5%,” he mentioned. “If it solely prices me this a lot cash to get to those platforms, let’s do it due to the lengthy tail.”
Getting up within the morning
Escalante began in video games about 25 years in the past. He famous he not too long ago misplaced his good friend, Carter Lipscomb, who additionally spent many years within the trade. Lipscomb helped Escalante self-publish his first recreation. That began Escalante on the indie monitor. Some pals will probably be holding a wake for Lipscomb on the Recreation Builders Convention on Monday.
Escalante ran Versus Evil for about 10 years, and but he nonetheless felt there was good work to be finished. He had conversations with a 100 individuals, they usually mentioned they nonetheless wanted publishers.
“So most of the builders we talked to mentioned, ‘I’m so glad you’re doing this. We’d like to work with you,’” Escalante mentioned. “It was good validation by the best individuals. I take pleasure in geeking out with the event groups about their recreation, about how we can assist them. I stand up within the morning for it. I think about myself to be extraordinarily fortunate.”
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