Lyrical Media launches new indie publisher, Lyrical Games, helmed by Private Division alumni

Independent production company Lyrical Media has launched Lyrical Games, a new, privately funded indie games publisher helmed by Blake Rochkind, former head of business development at Private Division.

The new publisher has “significant private funding” and is primarily focused on the triple-i space, aiming to support “imaginative and high-caliber games that live between the extremes of smaller indies and massive AAA productions.”

In addition to Rochkind, Lyrical Games’ seasoned team includes Roger Kurtz, former head of production at Private Division, and publishing veterans from Devolver Digital, Humble Games, and Microsoft.

“At Lyrical Games, we firmly believe developers are often the best stewards of their own games,” said Blake Rochkind, head of Lyrical Games, in a press release announcing the launch. “In today’s landscape, there has never been more noise, and not every developer necessarily needs a publisher. We built Lyrical Games to be the kind of publisher they want to work with.

“In this new normal, it’s never been more important for both developers and their publishing partners to share a clear, holistic vision at the outset—not just for the game itself, but who that audience is and how they can and should be reached.”

The publisher has already signed three titles, including the next game from Homeworld 3 developer Blackbird Interactive. According to Lyric Games, news and reveals for these titles are “coming soon.”

“In the high-end indie or ‘triple-i’ space, we believe we can offer among the best, if not the best, deal terms available right now,” Rochkind continued. “We’re not just looking for developers, but for partners who want a meaningful say in all the ways their game will be shown to the world.

“Developers we work with will always have ownership of their IP, and our partnerships will always value collaboration and transparency above all else.”