What Upgrade Entertainment does

Upgrade Entertainment is an Istanbul-based (operating from Entertech İstanbul Teknokent) indie game developer and publisher founded by Meriç Eryürek and Cevher Eryürek. The company focuses on PC games for "underserved gamers who like replayable games," with its flagship title "Concubine" being a dark fantasy hack & slash ARPG available via Steam Early Access since 2023. Built on a standard PC game engine with Steam Cloud and Steam Workshop integration, Concubine features a deep character customization system, companion management, a Skill Tree, magic skills, and a Harem base-building mechanic. The game has received continuous content updates through 2024, including a 13-language localization, a complete Skill Tree, magic systems, and Early Access armor sets. The team comprises 2 co-founders, senior developers and artists (Joshua Blades, Stephen Dagg, Tristan Lee, Mike Black), a community manager (Deniz Berkin Zengin), and 3 PhD-level mentors in narrative design, game design, and business development.

The company operates three revenue streams: (1) one-time game sales on Steam (pay-as-you-go purchase model for Concubine), (2) recurring Patreon subscriptions across three tiers (Supporter, Insider, Inner Circle) offering dev notes, early development branch access, monthly polls, in-game credits, and behind-the-scenes content, and (3) professional publishing services for other indie game developers, including funding (development, equipment, porting, localization), marketing/PR, production support (SteamWorks, certifications), community management, and consulting. Primary distribution is global via Steam, with community-driven marketing through Discord, blog/devlog updates, and social media presence via Linktree. The company targets Early Access, Indie, Strategy, Simulation, Moddable, and Replay Value genres on PC, with stated partner expectations emphasizing fresh, non-derivative concepts and quality-first design.

In April 2025, Upgrade Entertainment raised $341,182 from Alpha Stage in its first disclosed institutional funding round. The company has no parent organization, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed external publisher partnerships or signed publishing clients to date. Revenue, headcount trends, and download/sales figures are not disclosed in available materials.

Name

Upgrade Entertainment

Legal name

Upgrade Entertainment

Website

https://upgrade-entertainment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Upgrade Entertainment is an Istanbul-based indie game developer and publisher building replayable PC games, best known for its dark fantasy ARPG "Concubine" on Steam Early Access. It also offers funding, marketing, and production publishing services to indie developers and runs a tiered Patreon community program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie PC Game Development & Publishing

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Porting, Remastering & Platform Adaptation Services (PC/Console/Mobile/VR) (MPAFAKAN), Subscription, Bundling & Membership Distribution (Game Pass-like, Humble-like) (MPAFABAI)

Keywords

• Indie game publishing
• PC game development
• Action RPG games
• Steam Early Access
• Game publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Game Sales (Steam): One-time purchase revenue from selling developed games on Steam. Their flagship title 'Concubine' is sold via Steam Early Access with a one-time purchase model.
2. Patreon Support: Ongoing support through Patreon membership tiers (Supporter, Insider, Inner Circle) providing backers with exclusive access and perks in exchange for recurring contributions.
3. Publishing Services: Revenue from providing publishing services to other indie game developers, including funding, marketing, production support, feedback, and community management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Upgrade Entertainment develops and publishes PC games for underserved gamers, with its flagship title "Concubine" — a sensual dark fantasy hack & slash action RPG distributed on Steam Early Access featuring character customization, companion systems, and a Harem base-building mechanic. The company also sells publishing services to indie game developers worldwide, covering funding, marketing/PR, production/SteamWorks support, community management, and development feedback, targeting Strategy, Simulation, Moddable, and Replay Value genres on the PC platform.

Product overview

Upgrade Entertainment is a game development and publishing company focused on underserved gamers who enjoy replayable games. The core product is Concubine, a dark fantasy hack & slash ARPG currently in Early Access on Steam. The company operates a tiered Patreon supporter program (Supporter, Insider, Inner Circle) and offers publishing services to other game developers including funding, marketing/PR, production, community management, and development consulting. The company targets PC platform with games in Early Access, Indie, Strategy, Simulation, and moddable genres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Concubine: A sensual, dark fantasy hack & slash ARPG where players customize an attractive concubine and companions, serving as private assassin of the Sultan.

Products and services

• Concubine A sensual dark fantasy hack & slash action RPG available on Steam Early Access. Players fully customize an attractive concubine and up to three female companions with deep cosmetic details, serve as the private assassin of the Sultan, and design and customize a Harem base at the Grand Palace. The game is targeted at PC gamers who enjoy indie, strategy, simulation, moddable, and replay-value titles.
• Patreon Supporter Program Community supporter program offering three monthly tiers — Supporter (supporter wall, Discord access, weekly dev notes), Insider (live development branch access, monthly polls, 4K wallpapers), and Inner Circle (in-game credits, behind-the-scenes content) — for backers who want recurring engagement with the development of Concubine.
• Game Publishing Services Integrated publishing services for indie game developers worldwide, covering funding (development, equipment, porting, localization), marketing and PR (events, trailers, marketing assets), production support (SteamWorks, certifications), development feedback from experienced developers, and community management through a culturally diverse team. Targeted at indie titles in the Strategy, Simulation, Moddable, and Replay Value genres on PC.
• Game Development Consulting Consulting services drawing on the founders' combined 30+ years of gaming industry experience, helping game developers avoid common pitfalls and successfully bring their games to market. Offered as part of the studio's broader publishing engagement with indie developers.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Devolver Digital: Major indie game publisher focused on PC and console, with a portfolio of premium indie titles and direct-to-consumer store. Directly comparable to Upgrade Entertainment's indie publisher business model, though at vastly larger scale.
• Raw Fury: Independent game publisher focused on artistically-driven and niche PC/console titles. Highly comparable to Upgrade Entertainment's strategy of curating indie developers in underserved genres and providing funding plus production support.
• Team17: Long-standing indie game label and developer (Worms franchise) that publishes third-party indie titles on PC and console. Directly comparable as an indie publisher serving similar developer audiences with funding and marketing support.
• Chucklefish: Indie developer and publisher (Stardew Valley, Starbound, Risk of Rain) that combines in-house development with publishing services for other indie developers. Closely mirrors Upgrade Entertainment's dual studio-plus-publisher model.
• Akupara Games: Indie game publisher supporting small developers with funding, marketing, and QA. Direct peer for Upgrade Entertainment's publishing services targeting indie developers with comprehensive support.
• Motion Twin: Small, worker-cooperative indie studio behind Dead Cells. Comparable as a small-team indie developer that releases premium PC/console titles and engages directly with their community, similar to Upgrade's small-team approach to game development.
• Supergiant Games: Small, critically-acclaimed indie studio (Hades, Bastion, Pyre) producing narrative-driven action/ARPG titles on PC and console. Closely comparable genre overlap (action RPG) and similar small-team operating model.
• Dear Villagers: Indie game label publishing PC and console titles from small developers. Directly comparable as an indie publisher supporting developers with funding, marketing, and production, focused on strategy and simulation genres that overlap Upgrade's target genres.
• tinyBuild: Indie developer and publisher with a portfolio of PC games and a developer-first publishing program. Comparable as an indie publisher providing funding, marketing, and production support to indie developers on PC platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Annapurna Interactive: Prominent indie game publisher with a premium-curated portfolio across PC and console. Functions as a broader incumbent offering similar publisher services to indie developers but at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/meric-eryurek-62971464
• Xx.com/UpgradeOy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upgrade Entertainment