Vampire Survivors Proves Authentic Creators Can Replace AAA Publishers
When Luca Galante first released Vampire Survivors, it looked like just another oddball indie roguelike game. Cheap, minimalist, and coded by a single designer driven by pure obsession, VS may have lacked the glossy sheen of an Activision blockbuster or the empty hype cycle of an EA franchise. But it struck a chord with players starved for authenticity.
Word of mouth spread, millions of copies sold, and a wave of imitators followed.
Now Galante is taking another big step that should make the suits in AAA boardrooms break out in cold sweat: He’s building a publishing arm, Poncle Presents, that openly rejects the exploitative model of mainstream game publishing.
In his own words, he’s seen what passes for “publishing” in the industry: half-finished games dumped on Steam, early access titles left uncompleted, and live-service grifts that never deliver. The net effect: player bases left stranded once the quick buck has been made.
That’s the low to which the AAA cartel has sunk. Poncle Presents is charting a different course. Their mission is deceptively simple:
Fund genuine games that carry actual creative value
Support titles post-launch, no matter how big or small the player base
Give developers freedom to realize their own vision, instead of warping their games into vehicles for microtransactions
Focus on small, passionate teams whose transparency and honesty stand in stark contrast to corporate PR departments.
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That approach shouldn’t be revolutionary. Once upon a time, it was the default. A publisher was supposed to fund development, make sure the product shipped in working order, and keep supporting it so customers felt valued. The fact that Galante’s stance sounds radical tells you just how far the AAA industry has fallen.
The biggest white pill is that Vampire Survivors’ success isn’t an isolated fluke. We’re seeing a recurring pattern.
Palworld turned a small Japanese studio into a new powerhouse overnight, and Pocketpair now funds other indies.
The team behind Among Us launched Outersloth to give other developers a shot.
Now Poncle, an indie outfit born from a one-man project, is positioning itself as an alternative to parasitic publishers.
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Notice the common thread. These creators made games fans loved; not because a marketing committee told them what to make, but because they pursued their own vision.
Their triumph exposed the AAA system for what it has become: a bloated yet hollow shell propped up by brand recognition and monetization gimmicks.
Meanwhile, genuine artistry is moving back to the grassroots. Small teams with fire in their bellies are proving they can topple the giants by doing the obvious and treating players and developers with respect while making games worth playing.
The Vampire Survivors phenomenon didn’t just launch a new genre. It may have planted a seed that will grow into the new model for publishing, led not by corporate parasites, but fellow creators paying forward the blessings they’ve received.
Hollywood is collapsing. The Big Five publishers are circling the drain. And now the AAA video game industry is showing cracks. That’s cause for celebration. Because as these rotten structures crumble, real creators are stepping up to build what’s next. And it can only be an improvement.
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Brian Niemeier is a best-selling novelist, editor, and Dragon Award winner with over a decade in newpub. For direct, in-person writing and editing insights, join his Patreon.