As the market shifts, how is Slitherine thinking about long-term player engagement - live support, DLC strategies or community-led development? Our support strategy is built long before launch, but it’s never one-size-fits-all. With a catalogue of 238 games and 155 DLCs, our focus is on sustained value. We don’t necessarily see a ‘shift’ toward live services in our niche; rather, we see games as long-term services for specific communities. Our roadmap always balances two distinct goals: reaching new players and providing our core, active community with high-quality content that rewards their long-term interest.
We want to work on projects where we can add real value without biting off more than we can chew. If an immersive strategy game fits our resources and allows the team the time to plan and improve without being rushed, we’re all in. We’re not expanding for the sake of expanding; we’re growing where we know we can deliver quality.
How does acquiring established IP differ for Slitherine compared to developing original titles in-house or with long-term partners? Mechanically, the processes are worlds apart - they involve different legal frameworks, partners, and deal structures. However, strategically, they are identical. Our goal is to capture opportunities that build long-term value. In this industry, value isn’t just profit; it’s the accumulation of IP, codebases, and systems. Whether we are acquiring a finished set of assets or building a title from scratch, the ambition remains the same: to expand our technical and creative library in a way that strengthens the company for the future.
How important is recognisable IP to your future roadmap, particularly as competition for player attention continues to intensify? A healthy roadmap requires a balance between the ‘now’ and the ‘next.’ Established, recognisable IPs are essential for serving our present goals and cutting through the noise of a crowded market, but growth is a constant pivot; we use the stability of existing assets to fund the exploration of new, owned IPs. Our strategy isn’t just about maintaining a catalogue - it’s about using the reach of established brands to build the foundations for our future ones.
From a development perspective, how do licensed titles challenge your teams differently compared to historically grounded or original strategy games? Licensed titles offer a unique trade-off: immense flavour versus rigid boundaries. In that sense, they are very similar to historical games: the lore, characters, and settings are pre-defined, which can deeply enhance the narrative but also limit purely creative design freedom. However, there is a hidden advantage in the structure they provide. The approval process, while rigorous, acts as a guardrail that ensures the development stays true to the brand’s identity, helping us reach a wide audience with a product that feels authentic rather than experimental.
What role does technology play in your 2026 vision, whether that’s AI, simulation depth or new ways of presenting strategy to players? To be honest, the conversation around AI is often too narrow. Many
claim they won’t touch it out of ‘care for employees’, which is perfectly understandable and we share that sentiment, but that’s often a defensive stance that ignores reality. For us, AI isn’t just about ‘Generative AI’ - it’s about functional utility that doesn’t make headlines. We see AI as a vital tool for automated testing, which allows us to catch
bugs in complex strategy systems far faster than a human could. It’s a tool or accessibility, helping us bridge the gap for new players without ‘diluting the whisky.’ Most importantly, AI should handle the repetitive, ‘boring’ processes, giving our teams the breathing room to focus on what really matters: being creative. If we can use AI to streamline workflows, our developers can spend more time on game design and less time on manual data entry. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about empowering them to be more human.
The strategy genre often attracts an older, highly knowledgeable audience. Are you actively trying to bring in new players, and if so, how do you do that without diluting complexity? I don’t believe our efforts to reach new players are fundamentally different from any other publisher’s, it’s just that our games require a specific willingness to sit down and learn. Complexity is subjective; the first time I played Stumble Guys with my kids, I found it incredibly complex in its own way! Attracting new players is every publisher’s job, but we are looking for a very specific audience. To put it simply: if a shooter is the beer of the gaming world, strategy games are the whisky. We aren’t looking to dilute the drink; we’re looking for the players who appreciate the strength of the pour.
Finally, what should the trade be paying close attention to from Slitherine over the next 12–18 months and beyond? We are a unique company because we don’t focus on the genre; we focus on the niche. While ‘strategy’ is a broad umbrella, a niche is a community with overlapping tastes that requires careful listening and precise selection. Over the next 18 months, we will continue to balance original IPs with major licensed properties - expect some very significant announcements there. We are also deepening our commitment to the simulation market with Scramble and Modern Naval Warfare, which we believe is the most accurate submarine simulator ever developed. Ultimately, the trade should watch how Slitherine proves that a sustainable, profitable business can be built while remaining fiercely dedicated to its audience and developers.
May/June 2026 MCV/DEVELOP | 37
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