Rooster Teeth Games
American video game developer, publisher and distributor
- Michael Hadwin
- (Director of Games)
- Alan Abdine
- (SVP of Business Development)
- David Eddings
- (Head of Game Publishing)
Rooster Teeth Games is an American video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Austin, Texas, serving as Rooster Teeth's video game division. It is focused on "bridging the gap between independent game developers and the worldwide community of gamers."[1]
History
Rooster Teeth Games was officially launched January 25, 2017. The aim is to help indie-developers gain exposure through Rooster Teeth’s large fan-base by developing games on all platforms for their community.[2] The announcement was received positively, with The Mary Sue calling it, "a perfect fit" given the company's "upstart background" starting with Red vs. Blue.[3]
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse is a traditional hack and slash single and multiplayer game that uses chain combos and is based on the popular anime RWBY.[4] It was originally developed in 2014 by a fan, Jordan Scott, in celebration of Rooster Teeth's anniversary.[5] At RTX 2014, Rooster Teeth announced that they had hired Scott, and officially picked up the game. Rooster Teeth CEO Matt Hullum stated, "RWBY is a natural choice for us to focus on for our first in-house produced video game. Fans can expect that we will bring the same level of originality in action, comedy and design to the video game that has made the RWBY animated series such a hit."[6][7] RWBY: Grimm Eclipse was a bestseller when it was released on Steam in the summer of 2016 and is a top-10 seller on PS4 and Xbox One.[8] They were awarded Best Video Game Studio/Developer 2014 by The Austin Chronicle for RWBY: Grimm Eclipse.[9]
In early 2017, Rooster Teeth Games had become a game publisher for independent games in addition to its video game development.[10] In June 2017, it was announced David Eddings had joined as its head of game publishing.[11] On September 27, 2017, Rooster Teeth Games announced a Kickstarter campaign for its first official board game, also based on RWBY, titled RWBY: Combat Ready in collaboration with Arcane Wonders. The campaign successfully reached its goal within days.[12]
Its next game, Vicious Circle, described as an "uncooperative shooter" was released in August 2019.[13] The game transitioned to a free to play model in November 2019 and refunds were offered to those who had purchased the game for full price.
On March 6, 2024, general manager Jordan Levin notified employees that Rooster Teeth would close over the next several months. In an email, he cited "fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage", with it being reported that the number of subscribers to its "First" service had dropped to around one quarter of their peak and that Rooster Teeth as a whole had been unprofitable for a decade. The Roost Podcast Network will remain in operation while Warner Bros. Discovery seeks a buyer. The company will also gauge interest in the Rooster Teeth library and intellectual property.[14][15]
List of games developed and/or published
Video games
| Year | Title | Platform | Genre | Developer | Publisher | Additional note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Rooster Teeth vs Zombiens | Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS | Action | Team Chaos LLC | Rooster Teeth Games | Though the game can no longer be purchased on Steam, the DLC "Remember the Bungalow" can. |
| 2016 | RWBY: Grimm Eclipse | Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Nintendo Switch | Hack and Slash | Rooster Teeth Games | Rooster Teeth Games | Originally a fan made RWBY game that was later officially picked up by Rooster Teeth. |
| 2016 | Super Rad Raygun[16] | Microsoft Windows | 2D Sidescroller | Tru Fun Entertainment | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. Co-published with ScrewAttack Games |
| 2017 | Battlesloths 2025: The Great Pizza Wars[17] | Microsoft Windows | Top-down shooter | Invisible Collective | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. |
| 2018 | Bendy and the Ink Machine[18] | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Episodic survival horror | Kindly Beast (under the banner Joey Drew Studios) | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. |
| 2018 | RWBY: Amity Arena[19] | Android, iOS | Action | NHN Entertainment. BaobabNet | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. |
| 2019 | RWBY Deckbuilding Game[20] | Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS | Virtual Collectible Card Game | 80Arcade | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. |
| 2019 | RWBY: Crystal Quest[21] | Android, iOS | Puzzle | EGLS Technology, Crunchyroll Games | Rooster Teeth Games | Publisher only. |
| 2019 | Vicious Circle[22] | Microsoft Windows | Uncooperative multiplayer shooter | Rooster Teeth Games | Rooster Teeth Games | Title was announced on Rooster Teeth Podcast Episode 526. |
| 2021 | RWBY: Grimm Eclipse - Definitive Edition[23] | Nintendo Switch | Hack and Slash | Rooster Teeth Games | Aspyr |
Board games
| Year | Title | Players | Developer | Additional note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Million Dollars, But... The Game[24] | 2-6 | Rooster Teeth Games | Based on Million Dollars, But... |
| 2018 | RWBY: Combat Ready[25] | 2-4 | Rooster Teeth Games Arcane Wonders | Based on RWBY. |
| 2018 | Achievement Hunter Heist[26][27] | 2-4 | Rooster Teeth Games | Based on Achievement Hunter. |
References
- ^ SHLAPAK, HELENA (January 25, 2017). "ROOSTER TEETH LAUNCHES VIDEO GAME DIVISION". www.cgmagonline.com/. CG Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ McAloon, Alissa (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Games switches gears to branch into game publishing". www.gamasutra.com. Gamasutra. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ Hatchett, Keisha (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Launches Video Game Publisher to Help Out Indie Game Developers". themarysue.com. The Mary Sue. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ Martinez, Phillip. "'RWBY: Grimm Eclipse' Review: High-Energy Action For A Low Price Decksplash - Official Announcement Trailer Loading". idigitaltimes.com. I Digital Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ Scott, Jordan (April 1, 2014). "RWBY: Grim Eclipse – Demo Release Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
- ^ Rush, Amanda. "Rooster Teeth Making "RWBY" Video Game". Crunchyroll.com. Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- ^ Cohen, Joshua (July 4, 2014). "Rooster Teeth Is Developing A Video Game". Tubefilter.com. TubeFilter. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- ^ Ricchiuto, Madeline (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Announces New Games Division Alongside Battlesloths 2025 the Great Pizza Wars". www.bleedingcool.com. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ "Best Video Game Studio/Developer: Rooster Teeth". www.austinchronicle.com. The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ TAKAHASHI, DEAN (January 25, 2017). "Video site Rooster Teeth launches its own game publishing business". venturebeat.com. Venture Beat. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan. "David Eddings joins Rooster Teeth Games". gamesindustry.biz. Games Industry. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- ^ "RWBY: Combat Ready - Kickstarter". Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Cacho, Gieson. "It's kill or be killed in 'Vicious Circle'". Sentinel and Enterprise. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 6, 2024). "Rooster Teeth Shut Down By Warner Bros. Discovery, The Roost Podcast Network To Continue". Deadline. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (March 6, 2024). "Rooster Teeth Is Shutting Down After 21 Years". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Helmet of Kingdoms - Survive Block Island - S1E6 - Rooster Teeth".
- ^ "Helmet of Kingdoms - Survive Block Island - S1E6 - Rooster Teeth".
- ^ @themeatly (January 29, 2018). "Yup! It's official... #BATIM is coming to consoles! :D It's a huge step and I'm sooooo excited... ^_^ This amazing community coming together made it all possible. :)" (Tweet) – via Twitter. [user-generated source]
- ^ "RWBY: Amity Arena on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.[user-generated source]
- ^ "Roosterteeth". Games. [dead link]
- ^ "Crunchyroll Games Will be Releasing "RWBY: Crystal Quest" on Mobile". June 24, 2019.
- ^ "Vicious circle". Games.
- ^ "Aspyr Media". Aspyr Media. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Million Dollars, But... The Game". Rooster Teeth Store. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "Resources and Information". ww16.rwbycombatready.com. [dead link]
- ^ "Achievement Hunter Heist - Rooster Teeth Store". Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Michael Haldwin on Twitter
