Annapurna Interactive
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | December 1, 2016 in United States |
| Founder | Megan Ellison, Neale Hemrajani, James Masi, Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, Jeff Legaspi |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Megan Ellison (founder), Nathan Gary (president), Deborah Mars (co-leader), Nathan Vella (co-leader), James Masi (chief administration officer), Chelsea Hash (head of internal development team) |
| Products | Video games publishing and development |
| Owner | Annapurna Pictures (parent company) |
Number of employees | 25 (as of August 2024 before mass resignation) (2024) |
| Parent | Annapurna Pictures |
Annapurna Games, LLC, operating under the trade name Annapurna Interactive, is a United States-based video game publisher and developer established in 2016 as a subsidiary of Annapurna Pictures. The company is dedicated to releasing innovative and emotionally driven independent games. Its distinguished portfolio features titles such as What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), Donut County (2018), Outer Wilds (2019), Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019), Wattam (2019), Telling Lies (2019), Kentucky Route Zero (2020), Neon White (2022), and Stray (2022).
In 2020, the company initiated its own internal development division, announcing its inaugural project, the forthcoming Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.
History
Annapurna Interactive was founded on December 1, 2016, as a branch of Annapurna Pictures, marking the parent company's entry into the gaming sector. The initial leadership team comprised Megan Ellison, Neale Hemrajani, James Masi, alongside seasoned professionals Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, and Jeff Legaspi, who previously held positions at Sony Interactive Entertainment's Santa Monica Studio and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. With guidance from advisor Jenova Chen, the company honed its mission to publish games characterized by being "personal, emotional, and original." Annapurna took over publishing responsibilities for titles developed externally by Santa Monica Studio’s third-party division, including What Remains of Edith Finch and Wattam.
At its inception, Annapurna declared publishing agreements with indie developers for games such as Gorogoa, What Remains of Edith Finch, Wattam, and Florence. By 2017, the publisher broadened its catalog with releases like The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Telling Lies.
2020–2023: Expansion into development and film
October 2020 saw Annapurna establish an internal game development studio based in Los Angeles. That same year, it secured a multi-year publishing agreement with Swedish developer Simogo.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Annapurna Pictures experienced financial instability; CEO Megan Ellison temporarily withdrew while her father Larry Ellison provided support to stabilize operations amid executive turnover. Around 2021, Megan Ellison resumed leadership duties, promoting Nathan Gary to president of Annapurna Pictures and appointing Deborah Mars alongside Nathan Vella—former president of Capybara Games—as co-leaders of Annapurna Interactive. Reports indicated that Gary increased funding for gaming initiatives and named James Masi chief administration officer. Gary also claimed responsibility for founding Annapurna Animation, credited with producing Nimona, although some accounts attribute this to Ellison. This situation fostered mistrust between Ellison and Annapurna Interactive’s management, leading to a more hands-off relationship with the publisher.
In late 2020, Annapurna partnered with iam8bit to produce limited edition PlayStation 4 boxed sets featuring titles like Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, and Outer Wilds. A comparable boxed collection for Nintendo Switch was released in late 2023.
June 2022 marked the announcement of a dedicated internal development team headed by Chelsea Hash; their first project, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, was unveiled in 2023.
In November 2023, Annapurna Interactive completed its initial acquisition by purchasing South African developer 24 Bit Games, recognized for contributions to indie projects including Gone Home, Neon White, and Cocoon.
2024–present: Significant staff departures, collaboration with Remedy Entertainment, and new game launches
In March 2024, employees were notified that Masi’s position was considered redundant, with Gary appointed to lead Annapurna Interactive despite his intention to leave. This announcement triggered a wave of resignations; however, Masi and Gary later rejoined discussions about establishing a spin-off entity to independently negotiate agreements while overseeing ongoing Annapurna Interactive projects.
By August 2024, Annapurna Pictures entered into a partnership with Remedy Entertainment to co-finance Control 2, additionally securing television and film adaptation rights for both Control and Alan Wake. This arrangement was spearheaded by Sanchez, who was rehired to direct a newly formed AAA/AA games division within Annapurna Pictures, whereas Annapurna Interactive continued concentrating on indie titles. Later that month, all 25 employees of Annapurna Interactive resigned following the collapse of spin-off negotiations. Attempts to reengage Ellison regarding the spin-off were unsuccessful.
Sanchez reassured the development teams that contractual commitments would be honored through recruitment efforts and collaboration with external partners. Prominent creators like Davey Wreden, C418, and Beethoven & Dinosaur affirmed that their forthcoming projects remained unaffected. Annapurna also confirmed the continuation of development on Silent Hill: Townfall and Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.
In January 2025, Leanne Loombe was appointed executive vice president and head of games. March 2025 saw the release of Wanderstop, developed by Ivy Road with music composed by C418. April brought the launches of Lushfoil Photography Sim and the shooter Skin Deep, followed by May’s release of To a T, led by Keita Takahashi. The adventure-racing game Wheel World debuted in summer 2025.
During 2025, Annapurna announced a publishing agreement with The Lego Group for Lego Voyagers, developed by Light Brick Studios.
At the 2025 Tokyo Game Show, Annapurna unveiled three new titles: the puzzle-adventure D-topia from Marumittu Games, turn-based RPG musical People of Note by Iridium Studios, and Demi and the Fractured Dream developed by Yarn Owl.
Published games
Developed Games
| Release Year | Game Title | Supported Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Template:TBA | Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth | Windows |
External links
- Articles with short description
- 2016 establishments in California
- American companies established in 2016
- Apple Design Awards recipients
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Video game companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- Video game companies established in 2016
- Video game development companies
- Video game publishers