A new publishing and production collective named Midnighters has launched in Melbourne, Australia. The company provides video game production and publishing support designed for developers and publishers seeking additional resources for development, release, and business strategy.
The team has contributed to the production, release management, community building, and creative support of titles including Art of Rally, Monster Train 2, Cult of the Lamb, Mini Metro, Mini Motorways, Alto’s Adventure, Alto’s Odyssey, Day Z, Arma 3, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Dicefolk, Absolute Drift, and others.
Leadership Team
Midnighters is led by four co-directors with backgrounds across production, design, engineering, and community management:
Zea Wolfe has worked on projects such as Saltsea Chronicles, Cult of the Lamb, Day Z, and Arma 3. Wolfe was recognized as one of The Game Awards 2023 Future Leaders.
Wolfe spoke to Game Developer and said:
“The typical publishing model doesn’t always meet the needs of independent developers. With our background as artists, designers and engineers ourselves, we aim to offer a tailored approach that supports developers in doing what they do best.
We are driven by a deep understanding of what it feels like to be in their shoes.”
Zea Wolfe, Co-Director at Midnighters
Jair McBain has produced titles including Mini Motorways, Mini Metro, Art of Rally, and Alto’s Odyssey, with a focus on business development and operational growth for studios.
Aaron Oak began as a UI designer for Microsoft and Disney, later moving into community management and production. Oak previously supported teams at Indie Megabooth and contributed to the launch of Devolver’s publishing label, Big Fan.
Jacob Vincent is a technical producer with experience on Art of Rally, Golden Lap, and Absolute Drift. His expertise includes production methodologies, optimization, and cross-platform development pipelines.
Production Services
The company states that its production team has more than 15 years of combined experience and a record of shipping both critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles. Midnighters’ production services include:
- Project management
- Release management
- Business development
- Marketing
- Public relations
- Community engagement
In addition to project delivery, the company supports studio founders with development best practices, production tools, and strategies for scaling teams.
Publishing Model
Alongside production services, Midnighters provides publishing options. The company offers both full-service and light-touch publishing models, with terms negotiable based on project needs. These models can include upfront funding or alternative arrangements where publishing support is provided in exchange for a reduced share of project royalties.
The company notes experience with premium PC, console, and mobile titles, as well as with first-party subscription services including Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass, Google Play Pass, and Netflix.
Project Criteria
Midnighters identifies three main categories that shape the kinds of projects it seeks to publish:
- Originality: projects with unique hooks, distinctive mechanics, innovative design, or authentic creative perspectives.
- Social connection: games built around community interaction, shareable features, multiplayer systems, live operations, or inclusive social impact.
- Resonance: titles with a defined audience, strong identity, awareness of market trends, and potential for scalable growth across sequels, expansions, or other media.
Midnighters’ production partners already include Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio, developers of Momento. The title focuses on room décor mechanics and was highlighted as an example of the type of creative, distinctive project the collective is looking to support.
Developers can apply through an online submission form that requests pitch decks, builds or footage, and supporting materials.
