Lyrical Games is helmed by Blake Rochkind, former Head of Business Development at Take-Two’s Private Division and, prior to that, Video Game Agent at United Talent Agency. Blake is joined by Roger Kurtz, former Head of Production at Private Division, and a team of games publishing veterans with decades of experience and backgrounds at Devolver Digital, Humble Games, Microsoft, and more.
Lyrical Games aims to support imaginative and high-caliber games that live between the extremes of smaller indies and massive AAA productions. With traditional publishers increasingly backing safe bets and dodging risk, Lyrical Games is stepping up to fund bold developers with vision, polish, and a clear path toward breaking through in an ever-competitive marketplace.
Backed by Lyrical Media and founder and CEO Alexander Black, Lyrical Games has already partnered with top-tier developers and signed three titles.
These include a new title from Blackbird Interactive, the creators of Hardspace: Shipbreaker.
“From the very beginning of Lyrical Media, we set out to be a premier home for amazing storytelling regardless of medium,” said Alexander Black, founder and CEO, Lyrical Media. “We want to empower fiercely passionate game creators by bridging the gap between their art and the players who stand to be moved by it. Lyrical Games has the experience to know that we are nothing without our partners and their vision.”
Lyrical Games is looking to partner with a wide spectrum of developers, from seasoned veterans with years of experience to newer studios looking to push the envelope with fresh ideas.
“At Lyrical Games, we firmly believe developers are often the best stewards of their own games,” said Blake Rochkind, Head of Lyrical Games. “In today’s landscape, there has never been more noise, and not every developer necessarily needs a publisher. We built Lyrical Games to be the kind of publisher they want to work with. In this new normal, it’s never been more important for both developers and their publishing partners to share a clear, holistic vision at the outset—not just for the game itself, but who that audience is and how they can and should be reached.”
“In the high end indie or ‘triple-i' space, we believe we can offer among the best, if not the best, deal terms available right now,” added Rochkind. “We’re not just looking for developers, but for partners who want a meaningful say in all the ways their game will be shown to the world. Developers we work with will always have ownership of their IP, and our partnerships will always value collaboration and transparency above all else.”
News and reveals for the first titles from Lyrical Games are coming soon.
Lyrical Media is currently in post-production on Adam Wingard’s Onslaught and Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, and Bill Skarsgård, both of which will be distributed by A24. They are also developing a slate of projects, including Funny Story, an adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling romantic comedy, Butcher & Blackbird, based on Brynne Weaver's popular novel and “Powerless,” a television adaption of Lauren Roberts’ best-selling debut YA novel.