Nacon acquires Ishtar Games

Nacon has acquired Dead in series and The Last Spell developer Ishtar Games, the company announced. The acquisition is accompanied by the creation of the Ishtar label in order to develop the creation and marketing of high-potential indie games.

The Ishtar Games team will manage the Ishtar label. In addition to developing its own original content such as the upcoming Lakeburg Legacies announced at E3 2021, it will also sign partnerships with various independent studios to develop a large catalogue of indie games.

According to Nacon, Ishtar Games will maintain its editorial independence while benefiting from its parent company’s support for product marketing. Ishtar Games president, co-founder, and creative director Matthieu Richez will continue to lead the studio.

“This acquisition and the creation of the label demonstrate Nacon’s ambition and desire to offer high-quality games developed by and for gamers,” Nacon chairman and CEO Alain Falc said in a press release. “The Ishtar Games team will allow us to progress in the independent games segment.”

Ishtar Games president and co-founder Matthieu Richez added, “This new adventure gives a boost to the strategy we put in place five years ago. We are all the more enthusiastic as it is a logical evolution, in the continuity of our know-how. The confidence that Nacon places in us to carry out this both ambitious and disruptive approach of creating a label of independent games supporting our values is the guarantee of an intelligent and motivating collaboration for our teams. We will finally have the means to fully express our creativity and aim for excellence, to the delight of our players.”

With the acquisition of Ishtar Games, Nacon now owns 14 development studios—nine in France, one in Belgium, one in Italy, two in Canada, and one in Australia.