By Sagar V. Mankar 
Midwest Games has brought on Elizabeth Howard, former vice president of production at Bungie, to lead their new “shadow publishing” initiative. According to reports by Game Developer, the innovative model is designed to support game developers with tailored and cost-effective solutions.
A New Approach to Game Publishing
Green Bay Wisconsin-based studio, established in 2023 by former Harebrained Schemes and Netflix veterans, is introducing a flexible publishing model that allows developers to maintain control of their creations while receiving essential support. The company has already shown its capabilities by successfully publishing several titles, including Tombwater, The Legend of Baboo, and Duck Paradox.
Howard, who previously led development and publishing teams for Destiny 2: The Final Shape at Bungie, brings valuable experience from her roles at 2K and Aspyr. As Midwest’s new chief advisor of services, she will oversee this unique publishing initiative that promises to provide scalable, cost-effective solutions for development teams.
What Makes Shadow Publishing Different?
According to the publisher, the new model addresses a crucial gap in the gaming market. While developers have long had flexible options for game development, similar flexibility in publishing has been rare. Midwest’s approach offers:
- Scaled support and pricing that adapts to each project’s needs
- Full IP and revenue rights retention for developers
- Complete control over publishing decisions
- Services covering the entire development lifecycle
- Support for PC and console games across all genres
Midwest CEO Ben Kvalo emphasized the significance of Howard’s leadership, noting that her expertise will help studios navigate the complex publishing landscape while focusing on creating great games. “Midwest Games can help studios navigate a competitive and fragmented publishing landscape while retaining the value of their game and years of hard work for the long term,” he added.