What New World Interactive does

New World Interactive is a private tactical first-person shooter developer and publisher headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with additional development studios in Calgary (New World North) and Montreal (New World East). Founded in 2010 by Jeremy Blum and acquired by Embracer Group in August 2020, the studio operates as an independent label under Saber Interactive. The company's core product is Insurgency: Sandstorm, an Unreal Engine 4-powered tactical FPS launched on PC in December 2018 and subsequently expanded to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store; the December 2024 Update 1.17 added Global Crossplay across PSN, Xbox Live, and PC. Earlier titles Insurgency (2014) and Day of Infamy (2016) remain in the catalog with continued mod support via Steam Workshop. The studio serves PC and console gamers seeking realistic, team-based, objective-oriented tactical shooter experiences, with a horizontal consumer segment reaching 10+ million players and 7.5+ million PC units sold.

The company monetizes through one-time game purchases on digital storefronts plus recurring premium DLC and cosmetic bundles (e.g., Glasshouse, The Crisis Set, Resurgence Set), with pricing set by the storefronts. Distribution runs through Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Microsoft Store, with Focus Home Interactive serving as publishing partner for Insurgency: Sandstorm providing console distribution expertise and broader marketing reach. The studio's go-to-market emphasizes community engagement: mod.io integration has driven 20 million mod downloads, and the company runs sponsored community contests (mapping and cosmetic design) with hardware and cash prizes from Nvidia, Intel, and Epic Games. Marketing leverages organic social (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitch, Discord), email newsletters via Robly, content marketing through 'State of Sandstorm' production blogs, and bottom-of-funnel digital storefront presence. Customer support runs on FreshDesk via the Saber Interactive helpdesk at support.saber.games.

Technically, the product stack centers on Unreal Engine 4 with proprietary mod.io authentication and integration, cross-platform multiplayer with input-based matchmaking, and third-party services for cloud hosting (Digital Ocean, Vultr), anti-cheat (BattlEye), mailing (Robly), surveys (SurveyMonkey), and support (FreshDesk). Leadership is now headed by CEO Keith Warner (appointed March 2020, previously President), with founder Jeremy Blum retained as Strategic & Creative Advisor, and department heads recruited from Tencent, Sony, Epic Games, BioWare, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. The studio currently has no public funding rounds, no disclosed revenue, and no AI/ML capabilities described in available materials.

Name

New World Interactive

Legal name

New World Interactive, LLC

Website

https://newworldinteractive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

New World Interactive is a Denver-based, Embracer-owned tactical FPS developer operating studios in Denver, Calgary, and Montreal, best known for Insurgency: Sandstorm. The studio serves PC and console gamers with realistic, team-based shooters and monetizes via one-time game sales, DLC, and cosmetics across Steam, Epic, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tactical Shooter Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Worlds & Social Sandbox Experiences (persistent social spaces) (MPAFAIAG)

Keywords

• Tactical shooter games
• Multiplayer FPS games
• Military combat games
• Game development studio
• Community modding platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling Insurgency: Sandstorm, Insurgency (2014), and Day of Infamy on digital storefronts including Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
2. DLC and Cosmetic Sales: Premium downloadable content including cosmetic gear sets, weapon skin sets, and expansion bundles. Examples include The Crisis Set Bundle, Resurgence Set Bundle, and various seasonal cosmetic releases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

New World Interactive develops and publishes tactical first-person shooter video games focused on realistic, lethal close-quarters combat and objective-oriented multiplayer gameplay. The company's flagship product is Insurgency: Sandstorm, powered by Unreal Engine 4, which is sold as a one-time purchase across PC and console platforms, supplemented by paid DLC cosmetic bundles and an active community modding ecosystem via mod.io.

Product overview

New World Interactive is a game development studio that crafts tactical military shooter experiences. Their primary product is Insurgency: Sandstorm, a critically acclaimed tactical FPS powered by Unreal Engine 4, which receives regular content updates and major patches. The company also maintains its earlier titles including Insurgency (2014), the original standalone game developed from a Half-Life 2 mod, and Day of Infamy (2016), a WW2-themed tactical shooter. The studio operates under Saber Interactive as part of the Embracer Group, with studios in Denver (HQ), Calgary (New World North), and Montréal (New World East). The games emphasize tactical gameplay, team coordination, and authentic military combat scenarios across both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurgency: Sandstorm Primary tactical first-person shooter game powered by Unreal Engine 4, featuring intense modern military combat across co-op and versus modes. Supports multiple platforms (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) with crossplay functionality.
• Insurgency (2014) Original standalone tactical military FPS developed from a mod for Half-Life 2. Multi-million selling title with continued post-launch support including new weapons, maps, game modes, and mod support.
• Day of Infamy WWII-themed tactical shooter released on Steam Early Access, developed in collaboration with Icarus. Features period-accurate weapons and intense tactical combat.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 million players worldwide have experienced New World Interactive games
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saber Interactive / Embracer GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020New World Interactive joined the Embracer Group as part of Saber Interactive. The company continues to operate as an independent studio while gaining access to publishing, marketing, and development resources. This partnership enabled expansion with new studios in Calgary and Montreal, and access to Saber Interactive's technical expertise in console development.
• Focus Home InteractivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFocus Home Interactive serves as the publishing partner for Insurgency: Sandstorm, providing expertise in console distribution and broader marketing reach. New World Interactive retains full ownership of the Insurgency brand and creative direction.
• mod.iocoreTechnology or Integrationmod.io provides the modding platform for Insurgency: Sandstorm, enabling community-created maps and content. Players authenticate through mod.io when creating or accessing mods, with the platform supporting over 20 million downloads.
• NvidiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Insurgency: Sandstorm 2020 Mapping Contest, providing prizes including RTX 2080Ti GPU.
• IntelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for mapping contest providing prizes including Intel i7 7700k CPUs and Intel NUC systems.
• Epic GamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing Unreal Engine editor access and Epic Game Store keys as prizes for community mapping contests.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Digital Extremes: Developer of Warframe — comparable in operating a long-running free-to-play cooperative shooter with strong community engagement and ongoing content updates.
• Bungie: Developer of Halo and Destiny — comparable in operating live-service FPS franchises with deep community engagement, ongoing content updates, and cross-platform multiplayer.
• Splash Damage: UK studio behind Dirty Bomb and Gears Tactics — comparable mid-sized developer of team-based tactical multiplayer shooters, often working alongside larger publishers.
• 4A Games: Developer of the Metro series — comparable in delivering atmospheric, tactical first-person shooters with realistic ballistics and combat mechanics for a hardcore audience.
• Bohemia Interactive: Developer of the Arma series and DayZ — direct competitor in realistic/tactical military FPS and persistent multiplayer shooter space, serving the same hardcore tactical audience as NWI's Insurgency.
• Valve: Developer of Counter-Strike 2, the dominant tactical multiplayer FPS and primary competitor to Insurgency in competitive team-based objective gameplay.
• Rebellion Developments: Independent UK studio behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army — comparable mid-sized independent developer of tactical/military shooters with realistic combat focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ubisoft: Publisher of Rainbow Six Siege and other tactical shooters — larger incumbent with overlapping tactical FPS audience but broader portfolio spanning many genres and live-service titles.
• Activision: Publisher of the Call of Duty franchise — the dominant FPS incumbent whose military and tactical modes directly compete with Insurgency for shooter audience mindshare and wallet.

Others

• Gray Matter Interactive: Historical developer of the original Call of Duty and Return to Castle Wolfenstein — adjacent relevance as a tactical WWII/military FPS developer whose lineage informs the modern genre NWI competes in.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/insurgencygame
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/newworldint
• Facebookfacebook.com/newworldinteractive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-world-interactive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 New World Interactive