A cohort of industry veterans with experience at major players like Disney, Jagex, and Codemasters have launched The CoLab, a new UK indie publishing label that hopes to “counter to the many current negative trends in the wider games industry.”
The six-person team is led by CEO Darren Newnham (formerly chief executive officer at United Label and business development manager at Disney), creative director John Lewis (formerly senior art director at Codemasters and lead environment artist at Criterion Games), and head of production Mark Faulkner (formerly director of product at Jagex and executive producer at PlayFusion).
The CoLab’s launch slate includes strategy title Counter Clash, top-down cyberpunk shooter DeadWire, and a cozy jaunt codenamed ‘Campfire’ that lets players share personal stories and listen to others while sat around a crackling hearth.
“We stand for cooperation and collaboration in an industry that desperately needs it,” said Newnham in a press release. “Recent trends, such as mass redundancies driven by ‘greedflation,’ have underscored the need for a paradigm shift.
“Publishers often prioritise shareholder value over the needs of gamers, leading to a cycle of unfinished games released at inflated prices, while developers have faced challenges including cancellations, unpaid work, and even loss of intellectual property.”
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The CEO said the label wants to integrate its partner developers into a “collective” by fostering a “supportive environment that promotes long-term relationships and rewarding returns.”
The CoLab has partnered with UK charity Safe in Our World to promote mental health awareness within the industry and has pledged to “ensure that all staff feel secure and protected in their roles.”
The label will have more titles coming in 2025 and is already working to fill its 2026 release slate. It also plans to host “developer knowledge sharing sessions” later this year.