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Five Indie Studios Form Nova Assembly to Share Resources and Keep Creative Control

Its first test comes with Replaced launching April 14.

Overview

  • Nova Assembly, announced Thursday, unites Unfrozen, Sad Cat Studios, VEA Games, Weappy, and Game Garden under a developer-led holding with Unfrozen founder Denis Fedorov as CEO.
  • Each studio keeps its own slate while tapping peers for expertise, technology, and operational help, with an emphasis on supporting one another without losing creative direction.
  • The group reports ten games in development and names Sad Cat’s pixel-art platformer Replaced as its first release on April 14.
  • Founders say they are building a publishing arm to control marketing, distribution, and direct ties to players and platforms, and they will honor current publisher agreements during that shift.
  • The organizers describe the alliance as a response to cancellations, layoffs, and closures across the industry, noting Unfrozen’s Olden Era partnership with Ubisoft and Hooded Horse and Sad Cat’s $5 million investment in 2023.