Milky Tea
Milky Tea is a UK video game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own game IP, including Grit and Valor - 1949, HyperBrawl Tournament, Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally, and offers work-for-hire development services, operating within the Aonic Collective since 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Milky Tea does
Milky Tea is a privately held UK video game development studio founded in Liverpool in 2005 by two designer-artists. The studio designs, develops, and publishes its own video game intellectual property and offers 'work for hire' game development services to brands. Its core product portfolio includes Grit and Valor - 1949 (a dieselpunk real-time tactics roguelite launched on Steam in March 2025), HyperBrawl Tournament (an Apple Arcade launch title originally released in 2019), Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally. Milky Tea serves two customer segments: end-consumer gaming audiences across PC and console platforms, and brand partners requiring professional game development services.
The studio operates on the Unity game engine with multi-platform deployment capabilities spanning Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, iOS, Android, and Meta Oculus. Milky Tea's revenue model combines one-time license revenue from self-published IP with professional services fees from work-for-hire engagements covering asset creation, concept pitching, multi-platform Unity development, quality assurance, and publishing. Since April 2023, the studio has operated as part of the Aonic Collective of game studios following Aonic's acquisition of a majority stake, with new IP now distributed globally via Megabit, Aonic's publishing arm. The team of approximately 30 creative professionals works remotely across the UK and EU.
Milky Tea has earned recognition from BAFTA, EMMY, Banff, and TIGA, and was shortlisted by Creative England in 2017 as a top 50 innovative company. Jonathan Holmes serves as CEO and minority shareholder following the Aonic transaction, with Chris Wood listed as Managing Director. The studio is privately held with revenue figures not publicly disclosed, and operates as Milky Tea Limited from Baltic Creative Campus, Studio J, 49 Jamaica Street, Liverpool.
Milky Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Milky Tea
- Legal name
- Milky Tea Limited
- Website
- https://milkytea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Milky Tea is a UK video game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own game IP, including Grit and Valor - 1949, HyperBrawl Tournament, Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally, and offers work-for-hire development services, operating within the Aonic Collective since 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Milky Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Development
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)
Keywords
Where Milky Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Milky Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Video Game IP Development and Publishing: Designs, develops, and publishes own video game intellectual property including Grit and Valor - 1949, HyperBrawl Tournament, Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally
- Work for Hire Development Services: Offers 'work for hire' game development services to brands, providing end-to-end game development capabilities
Go-to-market motion2 records
Milky Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Milky Tea designs, develops, and publishes its own video game intellectual property across PC, console, mobile, and VR platforms, and additionally offers end-to-end "work for hire" game development services to global brands and platform partners. The studio's core portfolio includes Grit and Valor - 1949, HyperBrawl Tournament, Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally, built using the Unity engine and published through major storefronts including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, iOS, Android, and Meta Oculus.
Product overview
Milky Tea is a UK video game development studio established in Liverpool in 2005, operating as part of the Aonic Collective of game studios. The company designs, develops, and publishes its own video game intellectual property while also offering 'work for hire' game development services. The studio's core portfolio includes Grit and Valor - 1949 (a dieselpunk real-time tactics roguelite), HyperBrawl Tournament (an Apple Arcade launch title), Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally. The company has a team of approximately 30 people and has won or been nominated for major industry awards including BAFTA, EMMY, Banff, and TIGA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grit and Valor - 1949 A dieselpunk real-time tactics roguelite set in alternate-history World War II Europe in which players command an elite squad of resistance mech pilots against the Evil Axis and escort an EMP device into enemy territory. Features four distinct regions with unique mechanics and randomly generated battlefields. Targeted at PC and console gamers.
- HyperBrawl Tournament An arena-based competitive video game released as an Apple Arcade launch title and available across Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Features an original synth wave soundtrack published by Sony Music and Sony ATV. Targeted at competitive multiplayer gaming audiences.
- Coffin Dodgers
- Roller Rally
- Work for Hire Game Development Services End-to-end outsourced game development services offered to global brands and platform partners. Capabilities include game asset creation, concept pitching, multi-platform Unity game development, quality assurance, and publishing. Targeted at brand partners and platform holders needing professional multi-platform game development.
Companies that use Milky Tea
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Milky Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Milky Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- MegabitflagshipMegabit, Aonic's new publishing arm, published Grit and Valor - 1949 as their first title. Megabit provides world-class publishing services to support developers, handling global distribution across PC and console platforms including Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
- Sony Music and Sony ATVminorHyperBrawl Tournament's synth wave original soundtrack was published by Sony Music and Sony ATV in 2020.
- Aonic CollectivecoreMilky Tea is part of the Aonic Collective of game studios. The collective enables studios to unfold their full potential while maintaining independent spirit, identity, and creative freedom.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Milky Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hello Games: UK-based small indie studio that shipped a single major multi-platform game (No Man's Sky) and built a strong live-services and update cadence. Comparable in scale and indie, multi-platform DNA to Milky Tea.
- Bossa Studios: London-based indie game development studio with a portfolio of multi-platform own-IP games (Surgeon Simulator, I Am Bread). Comparable in size, multi-platform focus, and indie self-publishing orientation.
- nDreams: UK indie game studio with VR and multi-platform expertise, working on own IP as well as partner titles. Comparable in size, multi-platform deployment breadth (incl. Meta), and indie studio model.
- Playstack: UK indie publisher/developer combining own-IP publishing with developer services. Comparable hybrid IP-plus-services model and multi-platform indie studio operations in the UK.
- Two Point Studios: UK indie studio developing and publishing simulation/management IPs (Two Point Hospital/Campus) across PC and consoles. Similar size, multi-platform, premium indie positioning.
- Rebellion Developments: Long-established UK independent game studio developing and publishing multi-platform IP (Sniper Elite, Zombie Army). Similar UK indie, multi-platform, own-IP publishing profile.
- Team17: UK-listed indie game publisher and developer with a multi-platform portfolio (Worms, Overcooked) and developer-services/label model. Comparable indie, multi-platform DNA and hybrid IP/services approach.
Broad incumbents
- Frontier Developments: Larger UK game studio developing strategy, simulation, and management titles (F1 Manager, Jurassic World Evolution) across PC and consoles. Overlaps with Milky Tea's premium, strategy-adjacent indie game development on PC/console.
- Sumo Digital: UK game studio with deep own-IP and work-for-hire track record across PC and consoles (Forza Horizon, Sackboy). Comparable multi-platform hybrid model, at larger scale.
- Playground Games: UK-based multi-platform AAA game developer (Forza Horizon, Fable) with significant Unity/Unreal capability. Overlaps on UK-centric, multi-platform, premium PC/console game development — though at a much larger scale than Milky Tea.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Milky Tea social profiles
Digital presenceMilky Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Milky Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Milky Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Milky Tea 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 Milky Tea
What does Milky Tea do?
Milky Tea designs, develops, and publishes its own video game intellectual property across PC, console, mobile, and VR platforms, and additionally offers end-to-end "work for hire" game development services to global brands and platform partners. The studio's core portfolio includes Grit and Valor - 1949, HyperBrawl Tournament, Coffin Dodgers, and Roller Rally, built using the Unity engine and published through major storefronts including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, iOS, Android, and Meta Oculus.
Is Milky Tea a public or private company?
Milky Tea is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Milky Tea founded?
Milky Tea was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Milky Tea based?
Milky Tea is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Milky Tea make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Video Game IP Development and Publishing is the primary driver. The others are work for Hire Development Services.
Who are Milky Tea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hello Games, Bossa Studios, nDreams, Playstack, Two Point Studios, Rebellion Developments and Team17. Broad incumbents are Frontier Developments, Sumo Digital and Playground Games.
Does Milky Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Milky Tea.
What industry is Milky Tea in?
Milky Tea's product category is Video Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAK, Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7990.