Name

Proxy Studios

Legal name

Proxy Studios GmbH

Website

https://proxy-studios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategy Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)

Keywords

• 4X strategy games
• Turn-based strategy
• Tactical combat games
• Indie game development
• Sci-fi strategy games

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue model through digital distribution on Steam. Each game is sold as a complete title with no subscription required.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Proxy Studios is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes 4X turn-based strategy video games for PC. The studio sells complete game titles (such as ZEPHON, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War, Pandora: First Contact, and Conquest: Divide and Conquer) on a one-time purchase basis through digital distribution platforms, primarily Steam, with publisher Slitherine handling certain titles.

Product overview

Proxy Studios is an independent game development studio creating deep, challenging, and endlessly replayable strategy games. The company's portfolio consists of four distinct 4X strategy titles: ZEPHON (2024) - a post-apocalyptic 4X game with unique tactical combat; Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War (2018) - a licensed Warhammer 40K turn-based strategy game; Pandora: First Contact (2013) - a science fiction 4X planetary strategy game; and Conquest: Divide and Conquer (2010) - a futuristic turn-based combat game. All titles share the core 4X genre (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) mechanics with focus on tactical combat systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZEPHON: Post-apocalyptic 4X strategy game built on Proxy's unique tactical combat system. Guide survivors through a turbulent future, navigating unexpected disasters, eldritch horror and cyberpunk monstrosities.
• Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War
• Pandora: First Contact

Products and services

• ZEPHON Post-apocalyptic 4X turn-based strategy game built on Proxy's proprietary tactical combat system. Players guide survivors through a turbulent future in a world where humanity emerges hesitantly into ruination, facing mutated wildlife, decrepit military robots, and alien soldiers.
• Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War The first turn-based 4X strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, featuring multiple factions (Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Necrons, Orks, Tyranids, Chaos Space Marines, T'au, Craftworld Aeldari, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, and Drukhari) engaged in brutal war for dominance over planetary resources.
• Pandora: First Contact Science fiction 4X turn-based strategy game on a planetary scale where competing factions — private corporations and religious movements — vie for control of an alien world discovered by an interstellar probe. Features randomly generated maps and research trees, tactical combat, customizable units, and moddable XML data. Supports 1-6 players in multiplayer.
• Conquest: Divide and Conquer Simultaneously executed turn-based combat game set in a dark and distant future, in which players divide and conquer their way to victory. Proxy Studios' first known released title.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SteamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSteam serves as the primary digital distribution platform for all Proxy Studios games. Games are published on the Steam store with dedicated developer pages.
• SlitherinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlitherine is the publisher for Pandora: First Contact, handling distribution and publishing services. Slitherine has published the game on their platforms alongside Steam.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Petroglyph Games: Independent developer of real-time and turn-based strategy games with 4X-style empire-building (e.g., Conan Unconquered, Grey Goo, Star Wars: Empire at War). Comparable as a veteran small studio in the strategy genre with PC distribution focus.
• Stardock: Independent developer of the Galactic Civilizations series, a long-running franchise of space-themed 4X turn-based strategy games sold primarily on PC. Comparable as a privately-held indie studio focused on 4X strategy, with a similar single-channel (Steam/PC) distribution approach.
• Mohawk Games: Developer of Old World, a turn-based historical 4X/strategy game led by Civilization IV lead designer Soren Johnson. Comparable as a small, indie-focused 4X studio delivering premium strategy titles to a niche PC audience.
• Triumph Studios: Developer of the Age of Wonders series (turn-based 4X with tactical combat) and publisher of multiple strategy titles. Direct peer in tactical 4X mechanics and PC strategy genre focus, now owned by Paradox Interactive.
• Amplitude Studios: Developer of Endless Legend, Endless Space, and Humankind—premium 4X/strategy games on PC with deep tactical combat and empire-building mechanics. Highly comparable to Proxy Studios' 4X focus, though Amplitude is now owned by Sega which gives them larger publishing resources.
• Snapshot Games: Founded by Julian Gollop (X-COM creator), developer of Phoenix Point—turn-based tactical strategy with 4X-style faction management. Comparable as a small, founder-led indie studio developing turn-based tactical strategy games for PC.

Broad incumbents

• Firaxis Games: Developer of the Civilization franchise, the dominant 4X series in the strategy genre. A broad incumbent with much larger resources but the same core 4X turn-based formula and PC distribution through Steam—defines the ceiling of the category Proxy Studios competes in.
• Paradox Interactive: Publisher/developer of grand strategy and 4X titles including Stellaris, Crusader Kings, and Age of Wonders (post-Triumph acquisition). A broad incumbent that owns much of the PC strategy market and directly competes for the same 4X enthusiast audience.
• Creative Assembly: Developer of Total War—a strategy franchise combining turn-based empire management with real-time tactical battles. Overlaps with Proxy Studios in the tactical-combat-meets-4X loop, though Creative Assembly operates at AAA scale under Sega ownership.

Others

• Slitherine: Publisher of Pandora: First Contact and many other strategy/wargame titles. While primarily a publisher/peer rather than a developer, Slitherine operates in the same PC strategy ecosystem and competes for audience attention with similar 4X/strategy offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/proxy_studios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proxy-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Proxy Studios