Developer Moon Studios has become “fully independent ” after acquiring the publishing rights to its upcoming action-RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.
Take-Two Interactive’s divested Private Division label had been set to release the project. After the label was sold, Moon spent “months” negotiating for the publishing rights to No Rest for the Wicked. The game was not included in the sale of Private Division’s current and unreleased assets because Take-Two initially intended to keep supporting it.
What’s left of the label is now reportedly in the hands of former Annapurna Interactive staff and Haveli Investments (thanks Bloomberg).
“We have secured the publishing rights for No Rest for the Wicked, allowing us to execute our vision without restrictions,” said Moon during its recent showcase.
Moon is the latest studio to break off from its publishing partner and strike out on its own. Back in 2024, Endless Dungeon maker Amplitude took the indie route after its splitting with Sega.
Canadian developer Yellow Brick Games also chose to self-publish its debut title, Eternal Strands, after Private Division was gutted. That same year, Remedy Entertainment announced it too would self-publish titles like Control 2 and FBC: Firebreak, albeit with some help from Annapurna and Tencent.
Just because a studio is self-publishing doesn’t mean it completely abandons third-party names. Outriders developer People Can Fly aims to self-publish some of its work while still taking on contract gigs when it can, such as co-developing Gears of War: E-Day with the Coalition.
No Rest for the Wicked will be Moon’s first attempt at self-publishing. The two Ori games were handled by Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios.