In late July, Humble Games, the publishing arm of the Humble Bundle digital storefront, made a surprising move by laying off its entire staff, leaving some indie titles in a precarious position. However, the ex-Humble staff have now 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 aims to collaborate with various companies to bring indie titles to market. According to a report from Eurogamer, one of these companies is none other than Ziff Davis. Despite being laid off by Ziff Davis just a few months ago, Nash and Patmore seem enthusiastic about getting 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 remains unclear which specific titles Good Games Group will be responsible for, but the new publisher's website features header and footer images of several games previously published by Humble Games, including Ring of Pain, Signalis, and Supraland. 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 occurred.
Initially, Ziff Davis told GameSpot that the layoffs would have "no impact" on its operations, with plans to have an outside consulting firm, The Powell Group, handle any unfinished projects. Humble Games has yet to comment on the new partnership with Good Games Group or whether The Powell Group is still involved.
Layoffs have significantly impacted the gaming industry in 2024, affecting both AAA studios and indie developers. Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight.
