Annapurna Interactive

Lore & Background

The company was founded as a division of Annapurna Pictures on December 1, 2016 to expand into the video game industry. Its early staff was composed of existing Annapurna executives, producer Neale Hemrajani, technology head James Masi along with several video game veterans, including Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, and Jeff Legaspi, who had worked in Sony Interactive Entertainment's Santa Monica Studio and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Jenova Chen was the company's advisor. The company aimed to publish games that are 'personal, emotional, and original'. Annapurna Interactive acquired games that were in development at Santa Monica Studio's external development division, including What Remains of Edith Finch and Wattam. On the day of establishment, the company announced several publishing deals. Some of the first games published included Gorogoa, What Remains of Edith Finch, Wattam, and Florence. In 2017, Annapurna announced it would begin publishing more games, which included The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Telling Lies. In October 2020, Annapurna established an internal development studio in Los Angeles. Also in 2020, Annapurna signed a multi-year publishing agreement with Swedish studio Simogo. In June 2022, Annapurna announced the formation of an internal game development studio headed by Chelsea Hash. Its first game, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, was announced in 2023. In November 2023, Annapurna Interactive made its first acquisition in South African studio 24 Bit Games. In March 2024, staff were informed that Masi's role was considered unnecessary and that Gary would be the head of Annapurna Interactive despite him also leaving the company. Some staff resigned but later returned along with Masi and Gary to discuss a spin-off. In August 2024, Annapurna Pictures signed a partnership deal with Remedy Entertainment to co-finance Control 2 and get television and film rights to Control and Alan Wake. At the end of August, Annapurna Interactive’s 25-person staff resigned in a joint resignation letter after spin-off discussions stalled then ended. In January 2025, Leanne Loombe joined Annapurna Interactive as executive vice president and head of games. Annapurna released Wanderstop in March 2025, developed by Ivy Road and composed by C418. In April 2025, Lushfoil Photography Sim and Skin Deep were released. To a T, with development led by Ke

In Their Own Story

A lone figure walks through a vast, silent desert. The wind carries the faint sound of chimes. Ahead, a distant mountain peak glows with a soft, golden light. The traveler is not alone—another silhouette crests a dune, and without a word, they move together toward the summit. This is the world of *Journey*, a game that Annapurna Interactive helped bring to a new audience on PC. The publisher's emblem appears briefly at the start, a quiet promise that the journey ahead will be one of wonder, not combat.

Reader's Guide

Notable video games published by Annapurna Interactive include What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), Donut County (2018), Outer Wilds (2019), Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019), Wattam (2019), Telling Lies (2019), Kentucky Route Zero (2020), Neon White (2022) and Stray (2022). Two limited edition box sets containing the games Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, and Gorogoa were released in collaboration with iam8bit for the PlayStation 4 in late 2020. A similar limited edition box set was released for the Nintendo Switch in late 2023.

Did You Know?

• Annapurna Interactive was founded on December 1, 2016 as a division of Annapurna Pictures.
• The company's early staff included veterans from Sony Interactive Entertainment's Santa Monica Studio and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
• In 2020, Annapurna established an internal development studio in Los Angeles.
• In November 2023, Annapurna Interactive made its first acquisition, South African studio 24 Bit Games.
• In August 2024, Annapurna Pictures partnered with Remedy Entertainment to co-finance Control 2.