In late July, Humble Games–the publishing arm of the Humble Bundle digital storefront–laid off the entirety of its staff in a surprising move that left some indie titles in a precarious position. But now, ex-Humble staff have formed their own indie publishing company, called Good Games Group, and it appears that Humble Games parent company Ziff Davis is one of its first clients.
Led by former Humble Games leaders Mark Nash and Alan Patmore, Good Games Group will be working with various companies to bring indie titles to market, and according to a report from Eurogamer, one of those companies is none other than Humble Games’ parent company, Ziff Davis. Although Ziff Davis was ultimately responsible for the layoff that left them jobless just a few months ago, Nash and Patmore seem excited to get back to work.
“Good Games Group’s mission is to bring exceptional indie games to the global gaming community,” Patmore said of the partnership. “Partnering with Ziff Davis allows us to continue working with the amazing indie developers we collaborated with at Humble Games, while also allowing us to chart a new course for the future.”
It’s not yet clear exactly which titles Good Games Group will be responsible for, but the new publisher’s website includes header and footer images featuring a number games previously published by Humble Games, including Ring of Pain, Signalis, and Supraland, to name a few. It’s possible that the newly assembled team could be working on some of the same games it would have been responsible for if the mass-layoff had never happened. Initially, Ziff Davis told GameSpot that the layoffs would have “no impact” on its operations, with the company planning to have an outside consulting firm called The Powell Group handle any loose ends related to unfinished projects. Humble Games has yet to make a statement regarding the new partnership with Good Games Group, or whether The Powell Group is still in the picture.
Layoffs have hit the gaming industry especially hard in 2024, affecting AAA studios and indie devs alike. Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight.
