Modus
Modus is a video game publishing division of Maximum Entertainment that provides end-to-end AAA publishing services — funding, production, marketing, and global digital/physical distribution — to independent game developers worldwide, with a 300+ title catalog across all major platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2025
- HeadquartersWalnut Creek, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Modus does
Modus is a video game publishing division operating within Maximum Entertainment (formerly Maximum Games / Zordix AB group), focused on providing AAA publishing services to independent game developers worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, with broader Maximum Entertainment group offices in Stockholm (Sweden, group headquarters), Dublin (Ireland), Saint-Ouen (France), and St. Ives (United Kingdom). Modus publishes both proprietary IP and third-party titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms, with a catalog of over 300 games spanning narrative-horror (Bye Sweet Carole), survival (Smalland: Survive the Wilds), action (Squirrel with a Gun, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back), simulation (Maximum Football), and adventure (Until Then) genres.
Modus delivers end-to-end publishing services including funding, game evaluation, production support, marketing, digital and physical sales management, first-party platform relations, QA, localization, porting, and co-development. Revenue is generated through one-time unit licensing on game sales (price points ranging from Free-to-Play to $69.99) and professional service fees for sub-publishing and development partnerships. The company is positioned as the No. 1 sub-publisher of games in Europe and the Americas, with physical distribution reach across 50+ countries and relationships with thousands of independent stores. It is led by President Shane Bierwith and operates as part of Maximum Entertainment AB, which is publicly listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm (ticker MAXENT B), though the parent group is currently undergoing restructuring following a completed takeover bid by Olivine Holdings at SEK 0.30 per share and the preparation of a balance sheet for liquidation purposes after shareholder equity fell below half of registered share capital.
Modus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Modus
- Legal name
- Modus
- Website
- https://modusgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2025
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Modus is a video game publishing division of Maximum Entertainment that provides end-to-end AAA publishing services — funding, production, marketing, and global digital/physical distribution — to independent game developers worldwide, with a 300+ title catalog across all major platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Modus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Publishing
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)
Keywords
Where Modus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walnut Creek
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Modus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: Revenue generated from publishing and selling video games across digital and physical platforms worldwide. The company collaborates with top-tier creators to deliver gaming experiences and has a diverse catalog of over 300 titles.
- Sub-Publishing Services: Maximum Entertainment is the No. 1 sub-publisher of games in Europe and the Americas, partnering with publishers to oversee their entire portfolio of games and collectibles throughout the physical distribution process from manufacturing to distribution.
- Development Services: Global development studios offer services including game porting and co-development opportunities, providing additional revenue through development partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Various price points accepted for game submissions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Modus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Modus is a video game publishing division of Maximum Entertainment that provides AAA publishing services to independent game developers worldwide. The company funds, produces, markets, distributes, and supports games across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms. It also offers sub-publishing services for major publishers, managing physical distribution from manufacturing to retail across Europe and the Americas, with a catalog of more than 300 titles and 60+ releases per year.
Product overview
Maximum Entertainment operates as a premier global video game publishing company with a diverse catalog of over 300 titles. The company operates two main business models: direct publishing of games (including owned IP and third-party titles) through services like Maximum Football, Squirrel with a Gun, Overthrown, and Bye Sweet Carole; and sub-publishing services that provide physical distribution and retail reach for partner publishers. The company acquired Mane6 (developer of Them's Fightin' Herds) which joined their studio operations. The portfolio spans multiple genres and platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The company is publicly listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm (ticker: MAXENT B) and maintains investor relations, governance, and financial reporting transparency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Maximum Football A free-to-play football simulation game featuring customizable teams and realistic physics-based gameplay for the gridiron, available on PC via Steam.
- Bye Sweet Carole A narrative-horror game inspired by classic animation, following an investigation into the disappearance of Carole Simmons at the Bunny Hall orphanage.
- Overthrown A chaotic city builder for 1-6 players where players lift and throw objects, manage kingdoms, farm land, and defend citizens using a soul-stealing crown.
- Squirrel with a Gun A comedic sandbox shooter where players control a squirrel armed with various weapons, causing chaos and foraging for nuts.
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds A survival adventure game set in a miniature-scale world where players craft objects, tame creatures, and explore above and underground environments on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
- Until Then A cinematic adventure game set in everyday environments inspired by real-world locations in the Philippines, available on PC and PlayStation.
- Winx Club: The Magic is Back An action-adventure game developed in partnership with Rainbow, bringing the Winx Club franchise back to gamers' screens.
- Bramble: The Mountain King A game title in the company's catalog.
- Them's Fightin' Herds A fighting game developed by Mane6 that continues to receive updates and new features following Maximum Entertainment's acquisition of the studio.
- Publishing Services Comprehensive game publishing services including funding, game evaluation, production, development support, marketing, digital sales, physical sales, global distribution, and platform partnerships for independent game developers and studios.
- Sub-Publishing Services Physical distribution and retail reach service that expands partner publishers' games and collectibles through manufacturing, distribution, and retail relationships across Europe and the Americas.
Companies that use Modus
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Modus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Modus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- DotemucorePartnership with Dotemu and Auroch Digital to bring the physical edition of Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 retail.
- RainbowflagshipPartnership with Rainbow (studio led by Winx Club creator Iginio Straffi) to announce Winx Club: The Magic Is Back game development and publishing.
- Mane6coreAcquisition of Mane6, developer of Them's Fightin' Herds, which joined Modus Studios (now part of Maximum Entertainment). The developer continues to develop updates and new features for the game.
- Auroch DigitalcorePartnership with Auroch Digital alongside Dotemu to bring Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War to retail on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Little Sewing MachineminorPartnership with Italian studio Little Sewing Machine for development and publishing of Bye Sweet Carole horror puzzle platformer.
- Dee Dee CreationsflagshipPartnership with Dee Dee Creations for Squirrel With a Gun, a flagship title that launched successfully and expanded to Nintendo Switch 2.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Modus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 505 Games: 505 Games is an Italian publisher of mid-tier and indie games across all major platforms with significant European and American distribution. Closely comparable as a publisher that funds and distributes third-party developer titles across physical and digital channels.
- Focus Entertainment (Pullup Entertainment): Focus Entertainment publishes premium and mid-tier games including owned IP and third-party titles across PC and consoles. Comparable as a publisher with a diverse catalog across genres and platforms, similar operating model to Maximum Entertainment.
- THQ Nordic (Embracer Group): THQ Nordic publishes premium and mid-tier games across PC and consoles with strong physical distribution in Europe and the Americas. Directly comparable business model as a publisher that combines owned IP, third-party publishing, and physical retail reach similar to Maximum Entertainment.
- Daedalic Entertainment: Daedalic Entertainment publishes narrative, adventure, and indie games across PC and consoles with strong European presence. Comparable as an indie-focused publisher that funds and distributes third-party developer titles with a similar mid-tier profile.
- Microids: Microids is a French publisher known for adventure, platformer, and family-friendly games across consoles and PC. Comparable as a mid-tier publisher with a multi-genre catalog and European distribution footprint similar to Maximum Entertainment.
- Team17: Team17 is a UK-based publisher specializing in indie games across PC and consoles. Comparable as a publisher that funds, develops (via internal studios), and distributes third-party developer titles with strong European roots and multi-platform reach.
- Nacon: Nacon is a French video game publisher with a catalog spanning racing, adventure, and simulation titles across consoles and PC. Comparable as a mid-tier publisher with strong European physical distribution similar to Maximum Entertainment's positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Plaion (formerly Koch Media): Plaion is part of Embracer Group and operates physical distribution and publishing for games and media across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent with similar sub-publishing and physical distribution capabilities to Maximum Entertainment, but with deeper parent-company resources.
Emerging players
- Limited Run Games: Limited Run Games specializes in physical game publishing and distribution for indie titles. Comparable as a publisher with strong physical retail distribution focus, though smaller in scale and more focused on collectible editions than Maximum Entertainment's broad physical distribution.
- Raw Fury: Raw Fury is an indie game publisher focused on unique and artistic titles across PC and consoles. Comparable as an emerging publisher with similar indie-developer-focused funding and distribution approach, though with a more curated catalog and smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Modus social profiles
Digital presenceModus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Modus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Modus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Modus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Modus
What does Modus do?
Modus is a video game publishing division of Maximum Entertainment that provides AAA publishing services to independent game developers worldwide. The company funds, produces, markets, distributes, and supports games across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms. It also offers sub-publishing services for major publishers, managing physical distribution from manufacturing to retail across Europe and the Americas, with a catalog of more than 300 titles and 60+ releases per year.
Is Modus a public or private company?
Modus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Modus founded?
Modus was founded in 2025. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Modus based?
Modus is headquartered in Walnut Creek, United States, in the North America region.
How does Modus make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Video Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are sub-Publishing Services and development Services.
Who are Modus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 505 Games, Focus Entertainment (Pullup Entertainment), THQ Nordic (Embracer Group), Daedalic Entertainment, Microids, Team17 and Nacon. Plaion (formerly Koch Media) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Limited Run Games and Raw Fury.
Does Modus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Modus.
What industry is Modus in?
Modus's product category is Video Game Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAA, AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console). Its NAICS code is 5132.