My.Games, the gaming division of Russia’s Mail.ru Group, said it is launching My.Studio, an investment initiative to find and fund a new triple-A game developer.
The Moscow-based company said it will fully fund a new studio and the development of a new triple-A shooter game. In addition, My.Games will work closely with the winner on development, customer support, legal and studio operations. The winning studio will have legal and creative independence.
Applications are open today and will close on September 30. Winners will be announced by the end of 2019.
“With My.Studio, our goal is to support creative, innovative developers worldwide found their own studio and reach their full potential,” said Ilya Karpinsky, managing director of My.Games investment division, in a statement. “We’re gamers first, so we’re really excited to find the next big thing in AAA shooters.”
To apply, developers must have a new triple-A console shooter concept and at least five years of experience working on triple-A projects, preferably within the same genre. Applications can be submitted via the My.Games web site. Participants will need to provide a detailed presentation of their concept and team. My.Studio is open to developers based anywhere around the world and is also open to applications from established studios looking to expand.
My.Games is committed to supporting the winning team with expertise and resources and will have a stake in the new studio. However the winners will remain independent throughout development. The studio will also not be required to have My.Games publish the title. The final level of investment and My.Games stake in the company will be decided based on the winning team’s proposal.
“We’re publishers, but we’re also developers,” Karpinsky added. “We understand how important it is to retain creative freedom when signing up to a partnership like this. So with My.Studio, we want the teams to focus on the project itself, while we handle all of the operational organizational issues.”
The company has already invested in 15 partner developers, predominantly based in Russia and Asia. While previous investments have focused on indie and mobile development, My.Studio represents a shift for the company into triple-A development.
The final winner will be announced by the end of 2019. My.Games has more than 1,500 staff and 13 game studios. It operates more than 60 games and has 150 titles in its portfolio, including Freedom Squadron, Hustle Castle, and War Robots.