Big Fan Games
Big Fan Games is a privately-held publishing label and Devolver Digital subsidiary that pairs independent game developers with major entertainment IP holders — including Disney, Dark Horse Comics, HBO, and Games Workshop — to produce licensed video game adaptations for global PC, console, mobile, and physical retail distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersThe Hague, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Big Fan Games does
Big Fan Games is a privately-held publishing label headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Devolver Digital. Formally introduced in August 2024, the label specializes in producing video game adaptations of movies, comics, TV series, and cult-classic entertainment franchises by pairing independent game developers with major entertainment IP holders. The published and announced slate comprises six titles spanning multiple genres: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (retro FPS with Games Workshop IP, developed by Auroch Digital), Monster Train 2 (roguelike deckbuilder by Shiny Shoe), TRON: Catalyst (isometric action-adventure under Disney IP by Bithell Games), Hellboy Web of Wyrd (roguelite brawler with Dark Horse Comics by Upstream Arcade), Reigns: Game of Thrones (swipe-based strategy with HBO IP by Nerial), and John Wick Hex (action-strategy by Bithell Games, being removed from sale in July 2025).
The business model is built on a publisher-developer relationship in which Big Fan provides business development, production support, QA, localization, porting, and marketing services to indie studios developing licensed IP titles, while monetizing through one-time license sales across PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), mobile, and physical retail. Key IP partnerships include Disney, Dark Horse Comics, Rebellion, HBO, Lionsgate, and Games Workshop, with corresponding developer partnerships covering Bithell Games, Upstream Arcade, Shiny Shoe, Auroch Digital, and Nerial. The label's differentiation rests on granting developers creative control over premium IP rather than producing formulaic tie-in games, targeting two primary customer personas: indie developers seeking publishing infrastructure and IP access, and fans of source entertainment brands seeking high-quality interactive adaptations. Marketing channels are community-focused (Discord, X, YouTube, press outreach, email newsletter), and the team of 11-50 employees is described as industry veterans with prior credits on titles including Monster Train, Transport Fever, John Wick Hex, and Hellboy Web of Wyrd.
Big Fan Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Fan Games
- Legal name
- Big Fan Games
- Website
- https://bigfangames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Fan Games is a privately-held publishing label and Devolver Digital subsidiary that pairs independent game developers with major entertainment IP holders — including Disney, Dark Horse Comics, HBO, and Games Workshop — to produce licensed video game adaptations for global PC, console, mobile, and physical retail distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Fan Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Publishing
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Game Publishers (1st/2nd/3rd-Party Publishing) (MPAFABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Regional/Local Market Publishers & Distributors (Territory Rights, Localization-led Publishing) (MPAFABAH)
Keywords
Where Big Fan Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- The Hague
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Fan Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: Revenue generated from selling video games across multiple platforms including PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and mobile. Games are sold as one-time purchases.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big Fan Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Fan Games is a video game publishing label that develops interactive entertainment titles based on licensed movie, comic, TV, and cult-classic intellectual property. The label partners with independent game studios to produce, finance, and distribute IP-driven games across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Operating under parent company Devolver Digital, it handles business development, production oversight, QA, localization, porting, and marketing for each title in its catalog.
Product overview
Big Fan Games is a curated indie publishing label and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Devolver Digital. It specializes in creating video game adaptations of beloved entertainment brands — including films, TV series, comics, and classic games — by pairing independent developers with iconic IP. The portfolio is a collection of individual licensed game titles rather than a unified platform. Key titles include Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (a retro FPS developed by Auroch Digital), Monster Train 2 (a roguelike deckbuilder from Shiny Shoe), TRON: Catalyst (an isometric action game from Bithell Games set in Disney's TRON universe), Hellboy Web of Wyrd (a roguelite brawler from Upstream Arcade with Dark Horse Comics), Reigns: Game of Thrones (a strategy game from Nerial based on HBO's series), and John Wick Hex (an action-strategy game from Bithell Games). The label provides business development, production, and publishing/marketing services to indie developers working with licensed IP.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 Upcoming sequel in the retro first-person shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun franchise, adapted from the Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 IP and published by Big Fan Games for PC and consoles.
- Monster Train 2 Sequel deck-building roguelike game published by Big Fan Games across PC and consoles.
- TRON: Catalyst Upcoming action game based on Disney's TRON franchise, published by Big Fan Games for PC and consoles.
- Hellboy Web of Wyrd Roguelike action title adapted from Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic franchise (Dark Horse Comics), published by Big Fan Games across PC and consoles.
- Reigns: Game of Thrones Decision-based narrative game adapted from HBO's Game of Thrones franchise, published by Big Fan Games across PC, console, and mobile platforms.
- John Wick Hex
Companies that use Big Fan Games
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big Fan Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Fan Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Disney / Disney GamescoreBig Fan Games collaborates with Disney to create games based on Disney's TRON universe. TRON: Catalyst is an all-new story-driven isometric action adventure game set in the Arq Grid, developed by Bithell Games in collaboration with Disney Games.
- Rebellion (Sniper Elite)corePartnership for Big Fan to develop and publish video game adaptations based on stories from the beloved 2000 AD universe (home of Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, ABC Warrior) and Rebellion's other comic IP including Roy of the Rovers and Battle Action.
- Dark Horse ComicscorePartnership to adapt Mike Mignola's Hellboy franchise into video games. Hellboy Web of Wyrd is developed by Upstream Arcade with original storyline crafted in collaboration with Mike Mignola and Dark Horse.
- HBOcorePartnership for Reigns: Game of Thrones, the official game adaptation of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones and the Reigns game series from Nerial and Devolver Digital.
- Devolver DigitalcoreBig Fan Games is a wholly-owned subsidiary and publishing label of Devolver Digital. Devolver Digital provides global publishing infrastructure, distribution channels, and resources.
- Bithell GamescoreDevelopment studio that created John Wick Hex and is developing TRON: Catalyst for Big Fan Games. Bithell Games is an indie studio founded in 2013 by Mike Bithell.
- Upstream ArcadecoreDevelopment studio that created Hellboy Web of Wyrd for Big Fan Games, working closely with Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics.
- Shiny ShoecoreDevelopment studio that created Monster Train 2 for Big Fan Games.
- Auroch DigitalcoreDevelopment studio creating Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 for Big Fan Games, working with Games Workshop IP.
- NerialcoreDevelopment studio that created the original Reigns series and Reigns: Game of Thrones in partnership with HBO and Devolver Digital.
- LionsgateminorEntertainment IP holder partnered with Big Fan for game adaptations including Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Fan Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Big Fan's parent and a leading indie publisher; competes for indie developers and IP deals but across a much broader portfolio.
- Focus Entertainment: European publisher that regularly publishes licensed IP titles (including Warhammer 40,000 games), overlapping on both territory and licensed-game focus.
- Nacon: European publisher known for licensed and franchise-based games across platforms, competing in the licensed-adaptation publishing space.
- Team17: An established indie publisher and label operator supporting third-party developers, overlapping with Big Fan's full-service publishing role.
Direct peers
- Curve Games: A UK-based indie publisher partnering with independent studios to bring titles to multiple platforms, closely aligned with Big Fan's publishing motion.
- Outright Games: A publisher specializing exclusively in licensed video game adaptations of family and entertainment IP, mirroring Big Fan's core model of turning brands into games.
- tinyBuild: Indie game publisher working with external studios across PC, console, and mobile, comparable in business model and channel strategy.
- Annapurna Interactive: A boutique publisher pairing with indie studios on premium, creatively-driven titles, closely comparable to Big Fan's curated indie publishing approach.
- GameMill Entertainment: Publishes games built on licensed entertainment franchises, directly overlapping with Big Fan's IP-adaptation publishing focus.
- Raw Fury: An indie game publisher that funds and supports independent developers, competing directly for developer partnerships in the same niche as Big Fan.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Fan Games social profiles
Digital presenceBig Fan Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Fan Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Big Fan Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Fan Games 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 Big Fan Games
What does Big Fan Games do?
Big Fan Games is a video game publishing label that develops interactive entertainment titles based on licensed movie, comic, TV, and cult-classic intellectual property. The label partners with independent game studios to produce, finance, and distribute IP-driven games across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Operating under parent company Devolver Digital, it handles business development, production oversight, QA, localization, porting, and marketing for each title in its catalog.
Is Big Fan Games a public or private company?
Big Fan Games is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Big Fan Games founded?
Big Fan Games was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Fan Games based?
Big Fan Games is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Big Fan Games make money?
One revenue line is on record: video Game Sales.
Who are Big Fan Games's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Devolver Digital, Focus Entertainment, Nacon and Team17. Direct peers are Curve Games, Outright Games, tinyBuild, Annapurna Interactive, GameMill Entertainment and Raw Fury.
Does Big Fan Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Fan Games.
What industry is Big Fan Games in?
Big Fan Games'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 MPAFABAH, Regional/Local Market Publishers & Distributors (Territory Rights, Localization-led Publishing).