Hyperstrange, an independent games developer and publishing house, is bringing the European video game market to the forefront of the video game industry by producing and publishing highly successful games like Elderborn and Frozenheim.
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Hyperstrange, the Poland-based independent games developer and publishing house, is emerging as a leader in producing and publishing video games. Founded in 2015 as a video game studio with only two people producing one game, Hyperstrange was acquired by the Assay Group, an independent venture capital firm. After having trouble getting games published, Hyperstrange decided to start publishing the games themselves. One of Hyperstrange’s first successes came with their release of Elderborn, which is a metal action fantasy slasher for PC. The video game currently has had over 300,000 players log on to the game. Each time Elderborn goes on sale it sells over 100,000 copies and has become a widely recognized game. The success of Elderborn has enabled Hyperstrange to partner with other studios, and now has 24 video games in their catalog, and is currently working with over 20 independent studios across Europe to publish their video games.
Hyperstrange’s largest success came with the release of Frozenheim, a Norse city builder that offers elaborate management mechanics and progression trees to balance while maintaining and expanding settlements that the user builds. Hyperstrange acquired Frozenheim as a publishing title with only three people developing the game. The game was offered in early access in May 2021 and sold over 100,000 copies in just the first three months. To date, the game has sold over 255,000 copies with a wishlist of 500,000 copies.
Jason Kapalka, founder of PopCap (“Plants VS Zombies”, “Bejewelled”, “Peggle”) and Hyperstrange investor, said:
Central Europe has established itself as an emerging powerhouse in the global game industry. And Poland, home to over 400 game companies and notable titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher, is increasingly a hub for creative and innovative development.
Over 10,000 employees are working in the video game industry in Poland alone, which presents an unusual but perfect investment opportunity. In recent years the video games market in Poland has seen rapid growth – in 2020, after Hyperstrange received investment support from Assay Group, a venture capital firm, the company grew five times its size in just three years.
This trend in the industry presents the opportunity to have a return on investment that is ten times in just five years. Due to the war in Ukraine, this is the best time to invest in video game companies in Poland because the return on investment will be much higher now versus when the war is over. It’s a particularly good time for US and Western Europeans to invest because they account for 80% of the video game sales.
Hyperstrange embodies a youthful spirit, presenting an investment opportunity that aligns with the burgeoning European game scene. While the war in Ukraine has created uncertainty, I believe that now is the perfect time to invest in the resilience of the region’s gaming industry, with the potential for exceptional returns when the conflict ends, adds Jason Kapalka.
Hyperstrange along with its partner, the Assay Group, is aiming to become a hub for Ukrainian businesses. Hyperstrange is helping to bring games developed by Ukrainians in Kiev to the mainstream video game market. Although Ukrainians are faced with an ongoing war, there are still a lot of talented and hard working individuals and teams there. At this time Hyperstrange is working to publish Spirit of Liberty, a game being developed in Kiev, which will launch this summer in August. Strategic Mind is a hardcore strategy series based in World War 2. The game is already being played by over 60,000 people and Hyperstrange plans to double that number with the latest installment – Spirit of Liberty.
Poland and other countries of the region are somehow viewed as a frontline for the war zone, but business-wise it is a great time for the company, as we absorb the best talent and ideas from Ukraine and other CEE countries. This is a tremendous opportunity to invest in the region right now, says Paweł Kruszyński, member of the Hyperstrange executive board.
Hyperstange finds itself in a unique position to unite video game studios throughout Europe. Smaller teams work on new games and larger teams work on AA games – all this has led to Hyperstrange being able to have sold over one million copies, with another million on wishlists. Another of Hyperstrange’s major successes is highlighted by the game Blood West, an immersive stealth FPS with a horror theme that is set in the Wild West. The game is scheduled to be released in 2023 and already has a 91% positivity rate from over 1,000 players. The game is currently in presale with over 150,000 people adding it to their wishlist and 25,000 have already purchased the game.
