Koch Media has announced a new publishing label called Prime Matter during Summer Games Fest. Aiming to be a new premium game label, the company also revealed ten PlayStation games that they’ll publish under the Prime Matter moniker, including Starbreeze’s Payday 3.
The new publishing label is the result of Koch Media’s growth and their ambition to become the “go-to” publisher for developers of all sizes located all over the world. It will operate alongside the company’s four existing publishing labels – Deep Silver, Milestone, Vertigo, and Ravenscourt – and the games that have been announced cover a wide range of genres. The label will have a team of 25-30 people and is headed by Mario Gerhold. He explained their aims:
Games originate from the minds and hearts of the developers. Prime Matter is focused on maximizing this potential from the studios while empowering their dream or vision. One of our core values is to enable and support the studios, giving them the chance and freedom to express themselves within their game as they deserve. Some of the most treasured IPs in our industry started off with crowd-funding or as side projects which the developers truly believed in… history has proved that inspiration and talent is not defined by stereotypes.
One of the games Prime Matter will be publishing is Payday 3. Koch Media agreed to publish the game and 18 months of post-launch content back in March after developer Starbreeze spent ages looking for a publishing partner. The game will be released in 2023 for PC and unspecified consoles. They’ll also be publishing a new Painkiller game from Saber Interactive, although details on this were few and far between. These are the other potential PlayStation titles revealed today:
Scars Above
Mad Head Games’ dark sci-fi action adventure game tells the story of scientist and astronaut Kate Ward, who finds herself stranded on a strange alien planet. Despite the setting, the game promises to use “believable weapons and technology” to take down the monsters that inhabit the hostile world. Few other details were mentioned as they’re “not giving too much away at present”, but we do know combat and exploration will make up the majority of the gameplay. The game is heading to PC and unspecified consoles in 2022.
Codename Final Form
Reikon Games’ new IP is a sci-fi first-person shooter currently known by its working title. A humanoid avatar of a sentient spaceship is on a mission to protect the last celestial being from an unstoppable plague. The quest will take the ship beyond the edges of the known universe and into the unknown. Players can customise their Valkyrie’s skills and appearance before they team up with others to defeat the mysterious enemy force. The title will be released on PC and unspecified consoles in the future.
Gungrave G.O.R.E.
Revealed way back in 2018, the latest in the Gungrave franchise has been delayed several times, the last of these being at the end of 2019 so Iggymob could “make the game even cooler than we wanted to make“. The proper sequel to the original Gungrave will feature Grave, a “gunslinger of resurrection and badass anti-hero of your dreams” whose sole aim is to mow down enemies in a hail of bullets. The game will finally be released in 2022 on PlayStation 4.
Dolmen
Massive Work Studio’s Soulsborne-inspired action-RPG set in space was also revealed back in 2018. Its future was cast into doubt when it missed its Kickstarter target and everything went quiet, but now the game has resurfaced. Drawing inspiration from HP Lovecraft and modern pop culture, the game aims to depict the merciless planet of Revion Prime with vicious bosses and a hostile environment as players unravel the secrets of a crystal known as the Dolmen. New items and equipment can be crafted from the corpses of fallen enemies and exploration is key to understanding the forgotten planet. The game will be coming to PS5 and PS4 in 2022.
The Last Oricru
GoldKnights’ action-RPG is set in the middle ages, although there’s also a sci-fi twist in the form of a protective shield over this abandoned planet. Advanced technology has been all but forgotten and what little of it works can only be operated by the Last Oricru. Here, words play just as important a role in combat as weapons. A “massive” decision tree means each decision can influence the story, characters, appearance of a level, and even how the gameplay flows. Reputation is everything. The game will also offer couch co-op play so friends can join in the fun. The game will be released on PS5 in 2022.
Echoes of the End
Myrkur Games’ narrative-driven third-person action-adventure is set in a fantasy world. Seasoned fighter Ryn has the ability to manipulate matter, as well as destroy it, and what she chooses to do with the picturesque landscapes of her world remains to be seen. Few other details were revealed, but the game will be coming to PS5 in the future.
The Chant
Brass Token’s third-person action horror game with survival elements is still known by its working title. Originally there for a spiritual retreat, things start to go wrong fairly early on when psychedelic terrors are awakened. Taking place in the tormented grounds of a new age cult, players have to explore the horrific past of the remote island. Another title with few available details, all we know is it will be released on PS5 and PS4 in 2022.
King’s Bounty II
1C Entertainment’s RPG successor to the 1990 turn-based tactics game King’s Bounty was revealed in 2019. Each of the three heroes has their own story as they try to find their destiny through the ideals of Strength, Art, Order, and Anarchy. They also need to save Antara,whose land and citizens have been corrupted by a mysterious blight. Having missed its release window of 2020, the game will now be arriving on August 24, 2021 for PS4.
The company will also be publishing “legacy” titles from studios that have worked with Koch Media previously. These games will include the next title from Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios, the release of Outward on PS5, and the transition of Mount and Blade II: Bannerlords to unspecified consoles.
[Source: Prime Matter]
