Forthright Entertainment
Forthright Entertainment is a privately held, Knoxville-based boutique game publisher (founded 2007) that develops and publishes 19+ indie and AA titles across PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, Steam, Epic Game Store, and Robot Cache, serving both gamers and independent game developers through a creator-friendly publishing model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKnoxville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Forthright Entertainment does
Forthright Entertainment Inc. is a privately held boutique game publisher headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a second studio in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 2007, the company develops and publishes interactive video games targeting gamers seeking quality independent and AA titles, and serves independent game developers seeking a publishing partner that emphasizes transparency and developer-friendly terms over the extraction-oriented models of major publishers. The company offers full-service publishing infrastructure including project funding, marketing and PR, multi-platform distribution, production and localization, QA, IP management, live operations, and community management.
Forthright's catalog spans roughly 19 published titles across multiple genres — naval combat (Maelstrom), competitive fighting (Mighty Fight Federation, TerrorDrome, One Finger Death Punch 2), horror survival (Jaws of Extinction, Curse, Sanguivore: Twenty Below, Dusk), retro FPS (Dusk, Amid Evil), open-world RPGs (Ashes of Oahu, Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King), narrative adventure (The Ballad Singer, the Redwall series), strategy (Grand Tactician: The Civil War), and free-to-play vehicular combat (Heavy Metal Machines). Titles are distributed globally across PC (Windows, Mac), PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Steam, Epic Game Store, and Robot Cache, with price points ranging from free-to-play to $86 per title.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time license fees on game sales, supplemented by transaction fees from the Maelstrom Web3 partnership with Uprising Labs (an Oasys-based Layer 2) that enables player-owned digital assets and ran a $1M+ prize-pool tournament in August 2024. The company is founder-led (CEO Kenneth Rosman, CFO/Co-founder George Waller, Director of Product/Co-founder Troy Dunniway) with Ryan Waller as Chairman, and is actively soliciting prospective funding partners, indicating an ongoing capital-raise posture. Leadership describes the firm as a "AAA team with worldwide experience on every platform" with 150 years of combined experience, though the company remains a small operation of 11–50 employees with only one disclosed funding round of $200,000 in 2017.
Forthright Entertainment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forthright Entertainment
- Legal name
- Forthright Entertainment Inc.
- Website
- https://forthrightentertainment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Forthright Entertainment is a privately held, Knoxville-based boutique game publisher (founded 2007) that develops and publishes 19+ indie and AA titles across PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, Steam, Epic Game Store, and Robot Cache, serving both gamers and independent game developers through a creator-friendly publishing model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forthright Entertainment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Publishing
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Game Publishers (1st/2nd/3rd-Party Publishing) (MPAFABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Game Distribution Platforms & Storefronts (PC/Mobile/Console) (MPAFABAB), PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms (BPAMAKAA)
Keywords
Where Forthright Entertainment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forthright Entertainment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Game Sales: Forthright Entertainment generates revenue primarily through direct game sales on multiple platforms including Steam, PlayStation Store, Robot Cache, and direct website sales.
- Web3 Gaming Revenue: Through the Maelstrom Web3 partnership with Uprising Labs, Forthright enables players to earn, trade, and upgrade digital assets while maintaining ownership of in-game achievements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | — | Free-to-play titles |
| One time/ perpetual license | — | Premium game sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Forthright Entertainment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forthright Entertainment is a boutique game publisher that develops and publishes a portfolio of cross-platform video games spanning action shooters, fighting, survival, RPGs, strategy, and casual genres. The company offers indie and AA developers full-service publishing support including project funding, global marketing, multi-platform distribution, localization, QA, IP management, live operations, and community management. Games are sold directly to consumers through major digital storefronts including Steam, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Marketplace, Robot Cache, and Epic Game Store.
Product overview
Forthright Entertainment is a boutique game publisher offering a diverse portfolio of titles across multiple genres. The company's product lineup includes fast-paced naval combat games (Maelstrom), competitive fighting games (Mighty Fight Federation, TerrorDrome, One Finger Death Punch 2), horror survival titles (Jaws of Extinction, Curse, Sanguivore: Twenty Below, Dusk), retro FPS games (Amid Evil), open-world RPGs (Ashes of Oahu, Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King), narrative adventure games (The Ballad Singer, The Lost Legends of Redwall series), strategy games (Grand Tactician: The Civil War), and free-to-play vehicular combat (Heavy Metal Machines). Games are distributed across PC (Windows, Mac), PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, Steam, Robot Cache, and Epic Game Store platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Maelstrom
- Mighty Fight Federation Competitive arena fighting game with 13 unique characters, featuring innovative 'Hype' energy mechanics and rollback netcode for competitive play with crossplay support. Priced at $29.99 on Steam and PlayStation Store.
- Jaws of Extinction Horror survival RPG set on the island of Eden-Nadir, where players fight through a fungal parasite outbreak as one of four playable survivors. Listed at $56 on Robot Cache.
- Dusk Retro FPS inspired by 90s classics like Doom and Quake, featuring three campaign episodes, survival mode, and online multiplayer arena combat.
- Amid Evil Retro FPS featuring seven distinct episodes with different settings, magical weaponry, and brutal adaptive enemy AI built in Unreal Engine 4.
- Ashes of Oahu Open world post-apocalyptic RPG shooter set in Hawaii where players tap into spirit world powers to liberate Oahu from occupying forces.
- The Ballad Singer Asymmetric adventure game inspired by RPGs and game books featuring four different adventurers with up to 1700 stories and 40 different endings.
- Curse Point-and-click horror game where players explore Atherton Manor, site of deaths and disappearances over 100 years, to purge supernatural occupants.
- Shattered — Tale of the Forgotten King Soulslike action RPG combining cyber-surrealist open-world adventure with fantasy platforming, featuring skill-based combat and exploration in the continent of Hypnos. Epic MegaGrant recipient game developed by Redlock Studio.
- Heavy Metal Machines Free-to-play multiplayer vehicular combat game where players engage in 4v4 battles controlling lethal vehicles in post-apocalyptic arenas.
- The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology Narrative puzzle-adventure game based on Brian Jacques' Redwall book series featuring a dynamic scent system and stealth gameplay.
- The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends Cozy cooking simulation game based on the Redwall book series where players prepare recipes and cook for woodland characters.
- Sanguivore: Twenty Below First-person multiplayer horror escape-room style game where teams of up to four players evade monsters to escape through multiple routes.
- TerrorDrome: Reign of the Legends Indie fighting game featuring characters from horror literature, urban legends, cryptids, and mythology set in the modern world.
- Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) Real-time strategy game combining strategic campaign with tactical battlefield gameplay set during the American Civil War.
- Universe Action/shooter game featuring strategy and diplomacy elements in an epic tug-of-war for galactic control.
- One Finger Death Punch 2 Two-button stickman fighting game featuring cinematic kung-fu action with 26 unlockable skills and 1000 animations.
- Masks of the Void: Origins Telekinesis-based rogue-lite action-RPG where the environment serves as a toolkit, featuring build generation through Void Gifts, Cards, Shards, Documents, and Masks.
- Game Publishing Services Full-service publishing support for indie and AA game developers including project funding, global marketing and PR, multi-platform publishing agreements, production and localization services, IP management, brand development, live operations support, community management, and commerce/billing services.
Companies that use Forthright Entertainment
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Forthright Entertainment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Forthright Entertainment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Uprising LabscoreUprising Labs, a multichain native yield Layer 2 blockchain built on Oasys Layer 1, partnered with Forthright Entertainment to launch the Web3 version of Maelstrom. This collaboration represents the first pairing of a blockchain-based studio with a Web2 gaming studio on an existing title, featuring a $1 million+ prize pool tournament.
- Ultimate End-gamers League (UEL)coreUltimate End-gamers League partnered with Forthright Entertainment and Uprising Labs to host the Maelstrom Web3 tournament with $1 million+ prize pool, running August 23-25, 2024 on Steam with payouts up to $2,500 per match.
- Soma GamescoreForthright Entertainment partnered with Soma Games to publish The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology, a narrative puzzle-adventure game based on the Redwall book series by Brian Jacques.
- Blood Eater GamesminorForthright Entertainment partnered with Blood Eater Games to publish Sanguivore: Twenty Below, a first-person multiplayer horror escape-room style game.
- Redlock StudioscoreForthright Entertainment partnered with Redlock Studios to bring Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King to consoles and Epic Game Store in Q1 2022. Redlock Studio is a French game studio based in Lyon and Grenoble that developed the Epic MegaGrant recipient game.
- Komi GamescoreForthright Entertainment partnered with Komi Games, a small indie studio based in Toronto, Canada, to publish Mighty Fight Federation. Komi Games is focused on creating innovative fighting games, with Forthright handling publishing and distribution.
- New Blood InteractiveminorForthright Entertainment publishes Dusk, developed by David Szymanski and published by New Blood Interactive. Dusk is a retro FPS inspired by 90s legends.
- WyrmbyteminorForthright Entertainment partnered with Wyrmbyte to publish Ashes of Oahu, an open world post-apocalyptic RPG shooter set in Hawaii.
- Stormlord GamesminorForthright Entertainment partnered with Stormlord Games to bring the horror adventure game Curse to the Robot Cache beta. Curse features deep, story-driven gameplay with point-and-click controls.
- KYE CreationscoreForthright Entertainment partnered with KYE Creations to bring Jaws of Extinction to Robot Cache. KYE Creations developed the horror survival RPG featuring RPG elements and storytelling flexibility.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Forthright Entertainment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chucklefish: Indie publisher and developer (Stardew Valley, Wargroove) with cross-platform distribution across Steam and consoles. Comparable in scale and indie-developer support model.
- Raw Fury: Boutique indie publisher focused on premium PC and console titles with a creator-respecting ethos. Highly comparable in size, philosophy, and indie/AA catalog mix.
- Merge Games: Indie publisher with a physical-and-digital retail plus digital-storefront model, including console distribution. Comparable in cross-platform indie publishing.
- Devolver Digital: Boutique indie publisher with a similarly diversified multi-genre catalog (shooters, roguelikes, narrative) distributed across PC and console storefronts. Closest direct comparable in business model and creator-first positioning, though materially larger and publicly listed.
- Coffee Stain Publishing: Indie publisher (Goat Simulator, Satisfactory, Valheim) with full-service support and multi-platform distribution. Directly comparable boutique-publishing model.
- Modus Games: Boutique indie/AA publisher across PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox with creator-friendly positioning. Comparable catalog scale and multi-storefront reach.
- Team17: Long-running indie publisher offering funding, marketing, QA, and multi-platform distribution to small developers. Direct comparable on full-service indie publishing and multi-platform storefront agreements.
- Humble Games: Publishing arm of Humble Bundle, focused on indie and AA titles across PC and console. Comparable in indie-first portfolio strategy and digital distribution orientation.
- Fellow Traveller: Narrative-focused indie publisher releasing titles across PC and consoles. Comparable in boutique scale and emphasis on quality, story-driven content.
Broad incumbents
- Annapurna Interactive: Larger indie-leaning publisher with premium narrative and experimental titles. Comparable creator-first ethos and multi-platform storefront model, but materially larger and broader in scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Forthright Entertainment social profiles
Digital presenceForthright Entertainment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forthright Entertainment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Forthright Entertainment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forthright Entertainment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forthright Entertainment
What does Forthright Entertainment do?
Forthright Entertainment is a boutique game publisher that develops and publishes a portfolio of cross-platform video games spanning action shooters, fighting, survival, RPGs, strategy, and casual genres. The company offers indie and AA developers full-service publishing support including project funding, global marketing, multi-platform distribution, localization, QA, IP management, live operations, and community management. Games are sold directly to consumers through major digital storefronts including Steam, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Marketplace, Robot Cache, and Epic Game Store.
Is Forthright Entertainment a public or private company?
Forthright Entertainment is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Forthright Entertainment founded?
Forthright Entertainment was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Forthright Entertainment based?
Forthright Entertainment is headquartered in Knoxville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forthright Entertainment make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are web3 Gaming Revenue.
Who are Forthright Entertainment's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chucklefish, Raw Fury, Merge Games, Devolver Digital, Coffee Stain Publishing, Modus Games, Team17, Humble Games and Fellow Traveller. Annapurna Interactive is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Forthright Entertainment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forthright Entertainment.
What industry is Forthright Entertainment in?
Forthright Entertainment's product category is Video Game Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFABAA, Full-Service Game Publishers (1st/2nd/3rd-Party Publishing), with a secondary code of MPAFABAB, Digital Game Distribution Platforms & Storefronts (PC/Mobile/Console). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 5734.