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Team 17 Digital Limited (Team17) is a British video game developer and publisher based in Wakefield, England. The venture was created in December 1990 through the merger of British publisher 17-Bit Software and Swedish developer Team 7. At the time, the two companies consisted of and were led by Michael Robinson, Martyn Brown and Debbie Bestwick, and Andreas Tadic, Rico Holmes and Peter Tuleby, respectively. Bestwick later became Team17's chief executive officer until 1 January 2024. After their first game, Full Contact (1991) for the Amiga, the studio followed up with multiple number-one releases on that platform and saw major success with Andy Davidson's Worms in 1995, the resulting franchise of which still remains as the company's primary development output, having developed over 20 entries in it.

Key Information

Through a management buyout performed by Bestwick, both Robinson and Brown departed from Team17 in 2010, leaving Bestwick as the sole manager. In 2013, Team17 initiated a publishing venture focusing on indie games. The first game to release of this venture was Light (2013). Following a large investment from Lloyds Development Capital in September 2016, Team17 sought corporate expansion through various actions, including the acquisition of Mouldy Toof Studios, the developer behind Team17-published The Escapists (2015), and the hiring of multiple new key staff. In May 2018, the company was organized under the Team17 Group (later renamed Everplay), which became a public company listed on the Alternative Investment Market, valued around £230 million. As of 2019, Team17 employs 200 people across its three offices in Wakefield, Manchester and Nottingham.

History

[edit]

Early history (1990–1995)

[edit]
Debbie Bestwick (pictured in 2018) co-founded the company in 1990 and led it as CEO until January 1, 2024.

In 1990, Wakefield-based entrepreneur Michael Robinson was the manager of Microbyte, a United Kingdom-wide computer retail chain, and 17-Bit Software, a video game publisher.[1] Robinson had created 17-Bit Software as part of Microbyte in 1987 specifically to seek young, independent video game developers whose games he could publish through this label and distribute through his Microbyte stores.[1][2] One of those developers was Andreas Tadic (a nineteen-year-old hobbyist programmer from Olofström, Sweden), who at the time was developing HalfBright, a shoot 'em up for Amiga systems.[1] According to Tadic, the game was "technically impressive, but shite-looking".[1] Martyn Brown, a Microbyte employee, called up Tadic to introduce him to artist Rico Holmes; Tadic and Holmes subsequently became friends and, alongside another Swedish programmer, Peter Tuleby, founded a development team known as Team 7.[1]

Team 7's first game was Miami Chase, a Miami Vice-inspired racing game that was published by Codemasters in 1990, as a budget title for Amiga systems, and received an 82% review score from British Amiga-centric magazine Amiga Power.[1] Brown had followed the game's development closely, because of which he suggested to Robinson that they should not only publish but also develop games at 17-Bit Software, using Team 7 as their internal development team and himself as project manager.[1] Robinson agreed to undergo the venture and moved Debbie Bestwick from her position as sales manager of Microbyte to commercial support for 17-Bit Software.[1] Eventually, 17-Bit Software and Team 7 agreed to formally merge into one team, amalgamating the two teams' names as "Team17".[1] Team17 was officially created on 7 December 1990.[3]

Using Microbyte's experience in game retailing, Team17 was able to easily determine game genres that would sell well, while Team 7's expertise in game development enabled Team17 to also develop games in those genres.[1] Their first game was 1991's Full Contact, a fighting game that, upon release, reached the top spot on British game sales charts.[3] Further Team17 games followed Full Contact's success; by 1993, 90% of the studio's games, including Alien Breed (1991), Project-X (1992) and Superfrog (1993), reached the top spot on sales charts, while all Team17 products combined generated half of all Amiga game sales.[1] At the 1993 Golden Joystick Awards, Team17 and Electronic Arts jointly received the "Software House of the Year" award.[1]

Starting in 1992, Future Publishing-owned Amiga Power started criticising Team17's products more harshly than other gaming magazines.[1] According to Stuart Campbell, deputy editor for the magazine at the time, Overdrive, Project-X, F17 Challenge and Superfrog were among the games that received negative reception from Amiga Power between 1992 and 1993.[1] As a response to their reviews, Team17 began implementing derogatory Easter eggs into their games, which included the cheat code "AMIGAPOWER" unlocking a critical statement regarding the magazine's review policy in Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues (1993) and the easiest-difficulty bot opponents in Arcade Pool (1994) being named after Amiga Power staff.[1] However, when the magazine awarded Team17's ATR: All Terrain Racing and Kingpin: Arcade Sports Bowling scores of 38% and 47%, respectively, in 1995, Team17 issued a lawsuit against the magazine, demanding the reviews to be retracted and the issue withdrawn from sale.[1] The lawsuit was not successful for the studio, and it instead turned to not sending review copies of their games to Amiga Power and making other Future Publishing-owned magazines not lend their review copies to Amiga Power.[1]

Worms (1994–2010)

[edit]

In 1994, programmer Andy Davidson created Artillery, a game in the artillery game genre, for Amiga systems.[1][2] He entered the game, under the title Wormage or Total Wormage, into a contest held by the Amiga Format magazine.[1][2] The game failed to make an impact, wherefore Davidson instead opted to take it to the 1994 European Computer Trade Show (ECTS) in London, where he presented it to people at Team17's booth, where the game was signed for development as a commercial title.[1] Bestwick stated they could not stop playing the game and as such realised that the game had potential, although that potential's dimensions were yet unknown.[1] Following the deal struck between the two parties, Team17 promptly lost Davidson's contact details and were forced to call Amiga Format to retrieve them.[1] Once they had retrieved his details, Team17 and Davidson started to jointly develop a commercial version of his game, though retitled Worms, a title that appeared more straightforward.[1]

At the time, Team17 had the strong feeling that the games market for Amiga was dying, therefore they decided to develop Worms across as many platforms as possible.[1] However, the company had no publishing experience outside the Amiga market and needed to seek a third-party publisher; given the choice between Ocean Software and Virgin Interactive, they chose to go with Ocean Software.[1] Worms was released in 1995 for Amiga and later ported to Sega Mega Drive, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, PlayStation, among various other platforms.[1] Out of the 60,000 total sales estimated by Ocean Software before the game's release, the game shipped millions of copies within its first year.[1] Bestwick considered the game to have saved Team17.[1] However, following the game's success, Team17 became obsessed with replicating it: Between 1995 and 2010, the studio released a total of sixteen new Worms games.[1] With Team17 turning into a "single intellectual property company", many developers felt fatigue and "creative stagnation".[1]

Restructuring and expansion (2010–2018)

[edit]

In August 2010, Team17 announced that they had turned away from third-party publishers in favour of releasing their games themselves via digital distribution.[4] The company hired Paul Bray and Alan Perrie to act as finance and operations director, and head of global marketing, respectively.[5] Later that year, Team17 underwent a large internal restructuring, which included the management buyout of co-founders Brown and Robinson, making Bestwick, as chief executive officer, the company's sole manager.[6] Bestwick stated that this move had "placed the company in a secure position for the future".[1] Brown announced his departure in February 2011, stating that he would join handheld game developer Double Eleven.[7]

In December 2011, Team17 acquired Iguana Entertainment, a company founded by Jason Falcus and Darren Falcus in 2009.[8] All Iguana staff, including its founders, were effectively absorbed into Team17's Wakefield offices.[9] In 2013, Bestwick and Bray sparked the idea of returning Team17 to its roots by adding an indie game publishing component to the company.[1] An incubation programme was run that tasked two studios to co-develop what would later become Beyond Eyes (2015) and Sheltered (2016).[1] Light by Brighton-based Just a Pixel became the first game to be announced and released through Team17's new venture.[10] The activity was broadened to mobile game publishing in March 2014, with Hay Ewe by Rocket Rainbow announced to have been slated for a release on iOS in the second quarter of that year.[11] To accommodate the publishing label's growth, Team17 opened a separate publishing office in Nottingham in May 2014.[12] Bestwick stated that she despised the term "publisher" and preferred "label", as "[t]he term 'publisher' represents a way of doing business that's completely at odds with the new world of digital distribution".[13] Team17 won the "Publishing Hero" award at 2015's Develop Awards.[14]

One of the label's most successful titles was The Escapists: The game, designed by Chris Davis, a former roofer and founder of Derby-based Mouldy Toof Studios, sold over a million copies within one year of release.[1] On 1 September 2016, Lloyds Development Capital (LDC), the private equity division of Lloyds Banking Group, announced that they had invested £16.5 million into the development of Team17.[15] In return, LDC was awarded a 33% stake in Team17.[16] Using the investment, Team17 acquired Mouldy Toof Studios and The Escapists franchise for an undisclosed sum.[17] In response to LDC's investment, Chris van der Kuyl of 4J Studios joined Team17 as non-executive chairman.[18][19] As means of further corporate expansion, Team17 hired multiple new management staff by January 2017, including Justin Berenbaum as head of publishing and business development for Asia and the Americas, Matt Benson as business development manager and Ste Stanley as marketing and sales coordinator.[20]

IPO and management troubles (2018–present)

[edit]

In March 2018, Team17 tasked stockbrokers from Berenberg and GCA Altium to prepare an initial public offering (IPO), valuing Team17 at £200 million.[21] The company confirmed its intent to become a public company on 8 May 2018, announcing that a 50% stake of a new holding company, Team17 Group, would be sold over the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange.[22] The flotation was expected to value the group between £200 million and £230 million.[16] Bestwick and LDC would each sell half of their shareholdings in the process, wherein Bestwick was expected to receive £50 million in windfall profit.[16] Chris Bell, formerly the chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral, was appointed chairman of Team17 Group to aid the IPO process.[16] At this time, the company employed 120 people in the Wakefield development studio and another 20 in the Nottingham publishing offices.[23] Team17 was expected to gain £107.5 million in gross profits based on 27,325,482 new shares and 37,849,200 existing shares.[24] The shares became available for purchase via the AIM on 23 May 2018.[24][25] Following the sale of shareholdings by Bestwick and LDC, they retained 22.2% and 16.6% stake ownerships in the company, respectively.[24]

Through the first half of 2019, Team17's revenue rose significantly; 83% of its revenue was attributed to its publishing activities, of which 80% stemmed from games Team17 had co-developed internally.[26] Notably successful were Hell Let Loose and My Time at Portia, which were the best-performing games for the company in that time frame.[26] Team17 Group announced that, with this funding, it would be looking into acquiring more development studios.[26] The company's headcount also increased from 154 to 182 in that period, because of which Team17 moved its headquarters to new offices within Wakefield in November 2019.[26][27] The number of staff further increased to 200 by the end of the year.[27] In September 2019, Martin Hellawell was appointed a non-executive director of Team17 Group.[28]

In January 2020, Team17 acquired the Manchester-based developer Yippee Entertainment for £1.4 million, a combination of £922,407 in cash and 114,000 consideration shares, worth £433,200.[29] The company bought out Golf with Your Friends, which it had published, from developers Blacklight Interactive in January 2021, planning to release further downloadable content (DLC) for it.[30] In July 2021, Team17 Group acquired StoryToys, a developer of edutainment apps, for $26.5 million.[31] In January 2022, Team17 Group acquired Astragon, a German publisher focused on simulation video games, for £83 million.[32] In the same month, they also acquired The Label, a San Francisco–based video game publisher focusing on video game subscriptions and known for publishing What the Golf?, eventually renaming the company Team17 USA.[33][34] Michael Pattison was hired to lead Team17 as CEO in October 2021.[35] In June 2023, Team17 bought the rights for Hell Let Loose from the original developers Black Matter and founded a new studio named Cover 6 Studios to develop the game alongside Manchester-based Expression Games.[36]

In early 2022, Team17 announced MetaWorms, a non-fungible token (NFT) project, to sell procedurally generated images of characters from Worms as digitally owned objects on a blockchain.[37] The reaction to this project was swift and negative; the company cancelled it after multiple game development studios it had partnered with in the past, including Ghost Town Games, Playtonic and Aggro Crab, condemned the project and vowed not to work with the publisher again.[37] Eurogamer reported that many employees were unaware of the project and were blindsided by its announcement, including the social media team, which suffered online abuse and harassment from the public. Others who had knowledge of the project voiced their opposition to NFTs but were ignored by upper management, which went forward anyway.[38]

The conflict between management and employees over MetaWorms also revealed long-term complaints over low pay, long overtime hours, and increasing workloads since the company's 2018 IPO. Under pressure to sign and clear more publishing deals, various teams, including quality assurance (QA) and user research felt that products were being shipped in an incomplete, rushed, or buggy state due to the time crunch.[38] Staff felt underpaid relative to the salaries of equivalent roles at other studios and some complained of unpaid overtime work. They also pointed to their year-end bonus being cut in 2021 despite the company announcing a record profit that year. Another source of conflict was the human resources (HR) department, which was accused of covering for sexual harassers and manipulating the company's reviews on Glassdoor, a job search website. They likewise took issue with Bestwick's management as CEO, for being a major source of overtime pressure and for turning a blind eye to harassment in the company.[38] Fanbyte corroborated these testimonies in its own reporting.[39]

Pattison acknowledged the reports and committed to addressing the issues with underpay, overtime, and harassment in a company-wide meeting in February 2022.[40] In March 2023, Team17 announced a realignment that resulted in the redundancy of employees from the art and design teams as part of the company's focus on publishing and third-party development.[41] Later that month, Bestwick announced that she intended to step down as CEO once a replacement is found. She would transition to a non-executive role while remaining on the board of directors.[42] Steve Bell, the former CEO of the marketing agency Iris, joined the board in September 2023 and replaced Bestwick as the CEO on 1 January 2024.[43]

In October 2023, Team17 laid off 50 jobs from the company's QA, usability, programming, and marketing teams as part of a restructuring effort.[44] Pattison also left the company.[35] Team17 Group rebranded as Everplay to better reflect its structure composed of Team17, StoryToys, and Astragon.[45]

Games developed

[edit]
Year Title Publisher(s) Platform(s)
1991 Full Contact Team17 Amiga
Alien Breed Team17, MicroLeague Amiga, Amiga CD32, Android, iOS, MS-DOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
1992 Project-X Team17 Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS
1993 Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues Amiga, Amiga CD32
Superfrog Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS
Body Blows Amiga, MS-DOS
1994 Arcade Pool Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS
Body Blows Galactic Amiga
Apache[46]
Alien Breed: Tower Assault Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS
Ultimate Body Blows
1995 Kingpin: Arcade Sports Bowling
Worms Ocean Software Amiga, Amiga CD32, Atari Jaguar, Classic Mac OS, Game Boy, MS-DOS, PlayStation, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Alien Breed 3D Amiga, Amiga CD32
1996 Alien Breed 3D II: The Killing Grounds Amiga
World Rally Fever MS-DOS
X2 PlayStation
1997 Worms: The Director's Cut Amiga
Worms 2 Team17, MicroProse Microsoft Windows
1998 Addiction Pinball MicroProse, Infogrames Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
1999 Arcade Pool II MicroProse Microsoft Windows
Phoenix Hasbro Interactive, Team17
Worms Armageddon Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
Worms Pinball Infogrames Microsoft Windows
2001 Worms World Party Titus Interactive, Team17 Dreamcast, Gizmondo, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
Stunt GP Eon Digital Entertainment, Titus Interactive Dreamcast. Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
2002 Worms Blast Ubi Soft, Feral Interactive GameCube, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
2003 Worms 3D Sega, Acclaim Entertainment, Feral Interactive
2004 Worms Forts: Under Siege Sega Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2005 Worms 4: Mayhem Codemasters, Majesco Entertainment
2006 Worms: Open Warfare THQ Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable
Lemmings Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Mobile
Army Men: Major Malfunction Global Star Software PlayStation 2, Xbox
Lemmings Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation 3
2007 Worms Microsoft Game Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, Team17 iOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Worms: Open Warfare 2 THQ Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable
2008 Worms: A Space Oddity Wii
2009 Worms 2: Armageddon Team17 Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Funsta Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Alien Breed Evolution Team17 Xbox 360
2010 Worms Reloaded Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Alien Breed: Impact Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3
Alien Breed 2: Assault Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Alien Breed 3: Descent
Worms: Battle Islands Team17, THQ PlayStation Portable, Wii
2011 Worms Ultimate Mayhem Team17 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Worms Crazy Golf iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3
2012 Worms Revolution Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2013 Superfrog HD Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
Worms Clan Wars Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Worms 3 Android, iOS, macOS
2014 Worms Battlegrounds PlayStation 4, Xbox One
(R)evolve iOS
Flockers Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2015 Worms World Party Remastered Microsoft Windows
Worms 4 Android, iOS
The Escapists: The Walking Dead Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2016 10 Minute Tower Sega Microsoft Windows
Worms W.M.D Team17 Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
2017 The Escapists 2 Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2018 Overcooked 2 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
2020 The Survivalists Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Apple Arcade (iOS, macOS, tvOS, iPadOS)
Worms Rumble Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
2023 Killer Frequency Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Games published

[edit]
Year Title Developer(s) Platform(s)
1992 Assassin Psionic Systems Amiga
1993 F17 Challenge Holodream Software
Qwak Jamie Woodhouse
Overdrive Psionic Systems Amiga, MS-DOS
Silverball Digital Extremes, Epic MegaGames MS-DOS
1994 Super Stardust Bloodhouse Amiga, Amiga CD32
1995 ATR: All Terrain Racing Jamie Woodhouse
1996 The Speris Legacy Binary Emotions
1997 Profits Warning Bubball Systems MS-DOS
1998 Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy Trecision Amiga, Microsoft Windows
2013 Light Just a Pixel Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2014 Hay Ewe Rocket Rainbow iOS
Schrödinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark Italic Pig Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2015 The Escapists Mouldy Toof Studios Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
LA Cops Modern Dream Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Beyond Eyes Tiger & Squid
Overruled! Dlala Studios
Penarium Self Made Miracle
2016 Sheltered Unicube
Not a Hero: Super Snazzy Edition Roll7 Xbox One
OlliOlli2: XL Edition
Overcooked Ghost Town Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Lethal VR Three Fields Entertainment Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
2017 Yooka-Laylee Playtonic Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Aven Colony Mothership Entertainment Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition Team Jolly Roger Microsoft Windows
2018 Raging Justice MakinGames macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Yoku's Island Express Villa Gorilla Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Mugsters Reinkout Games macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Sword Legacy: Omen Firecast Studio, Fableware Narrative Design Microsoft Windows
Forged Battalion Petroglyph Games
Planet Alpha Planet Alpha ApS Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2019 Genesis Alpha One Radiation Blue Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
My Time at Portia Pathea Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Automachef Hermes Interactive Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Playtonic Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Blasphemous The Game Kitchen Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2020 Moving Out SMG Studio, DEVM Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Golf with Your Friends Blacklight Interactive macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Ageless One More Dream Studios Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Neon Abyss Veewo Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Crown Trick NExT Studios Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Going Under Aggro Crab Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Monster Sanctuary Moi Rai Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2021 Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos Heliocentric Studios Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Narita Boy Studio Koba Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Super Magbot Astral Pixel Microsoft Windows
King of Seas 3DClouds Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Greak: Memories of Azur Navegante Entertainment Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Age of Darkness: Final Stand Playside Microsoft Windows
Sheltered 2[47] Unicube Microsoft Windows
Hell Let Loose Black Matter Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Before We Leave[48] Balancing Monkey Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
2022 Thymesia OverBorder Studio Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna
The Serpent Rogue Sengi Games Microsoft Windows
Batora: Lost Haven Stormind Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Hokko Life Wonderscope Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Sunday Gold BKOM Studios Microsoft Windows
Bravery & Greed Rekka Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Ship of Fools Fika Productions Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Knight Witch Super Mega Team Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Honey, I Joined a Cult Sole Survivor Games Microsoft Windows
2023 Farmside[49] Topia Studios iOS, macOS, tvOS[a]
King of the Castle[50] Tributary Games Microsoft Windows
Summon Quest[51] Topia Studios iOS, macOS, tvOS[b]
Dredge Black Salt Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Trepang2[52] Trepang Studios Microsoft Windows
Moving Out 2[53] SMG Studio, Devm Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Gord Covenant.dev Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Blasphemous 2 The Game Kitchen Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Unliving RocketBrush Studio Microsoft Windows
Headbangers: Rhythm Royale[54] Glee Cheese Studio Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
2024 What the Golf?[55] Triband visionOS[c]
Border Bots VR Paw Print Games, vTime Microsoft Windows, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2
Classified: France ‘44 Absolutely Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Sweet Transit Ernestas Norvaišas Microsoft Windows
Undead Inc. Rightsized Games Microsoft Windows
Autopsy Simulator Woodland Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Conscript Jordan Mochi, Catchweight Studio Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss[56] Sarepta Studio Microsoft Windows
Warcana 1000 Orks Microsoft Windows
Amber Isle[57] Ambertail Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
2025 Jumping Jazz Cats Le Catnip Collective Microsoft Windows
Epic NPC Man Nice Day for Fishing FusionPlay Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Date Everything![58] Sassy Chap Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Ritual of Raven Spellgarden Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Rogue Point Crowbar Collective Microsoft Windows
Rockbeasts Lichthund Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Sworn Windwalk Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
LumenTale: Memories of Trey Beehive Studios Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Worms Across Worlds Behaviour Interactive, StoryToys iOS, macOS, tvOS
2026 Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Expression Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Golf With Your Friends 2 Radical Forge, Team17 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
TBA Way to the Woods Studio Happy Bee Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Marauders Small Impact Games Microsoft Windows
Wraith Ops Grassrootz Studio Microsoft Windows
Sintopia Piraknights Games Microsoft Windows
Goblin Cleanup Crisalu Games Microsoft Windows
Good Boy Observer Interactive Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5

Cancelled games

[edit]
  • Witchwood (circa 1994): An action-adventure game in the style of The Legend of Zelda or Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse about a young hero's quest to destroy an evil witch.[59][60]
  • Allegiance (circa 1995): A first-person shooter game with integrated multiplayer features, later transformed into a third-person shooter before being cancelled.[61]
  • Rollcage (circa 1995): An off-road racing game with different types of rally vehicles and aggressive AI opponents, and is unrelated to the 1999 racing game also titled Rollcage.[61]
  • P.I.G. (circa 1996): A 3D platformer in the style of Super Mario 64 that featured different outfits for the main character and various minigames.[62]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Team17

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
![Team17 logo](./assets/Team17_logo_(2018) Team17 is a British video game developer and publisher headquartered in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, founded on 7 December 1990 through the merger of 17-Bit Software Ltd., a publishing house, and Team 7, a Swedish developer. The company initially focused on Amiga and PC titles, achieving early success with games such as Alien Breed (1991) and Project-X (1992), before launching its flagship Worms series in 1995, which became a cornerstone of its reputation for turn-based strategy gameplay. Over more than three decades, Team17 has developed and published over 110 games across diverse genres and platforms, transitioning from in-house development to a prominent indie publisher supporting titles like Overcooked!, The Escapists, Hell Let Loose, and DREDGE. Notable achievements include multiple BAFTA Awards, a Golden Joystick, and recognition as Indie Publisher of the Year in 2020, reflecting its innovation in both classic and contemporary gaming. The company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in 2018, enabling expansion amid a shift toward third-party publishing while maintaining its legacy in strategy and multiplayer experiences.

History

Founding and early development (1990–1995)

Team17 was established on December 7, 1990, through the merger of 17-Bit Software, a and distributor based in , , and Team 7, a small development team from Olofström, . The merger was initiated when Team 7 approached 17-Bit to publish their debut game, leading to the formation of the new entity named Team17, combining the numbering from both groups. Key founders included , Martyn Brown, and Michael Robinson from 17-Bit Software, alongside Team 7 members Andreas Tadic, Rico Holmes, and Peter Tuleby; Bestwick would go on to serve as the company's long-term leader. Initially focused on the Commodore Amiga platform, the company operated from modest origins, emphasizing in-house development and publishing for the market. The company's first release was the Full Contact in 1991 for the , marking Team17's entry into original game development. This was swiftly followed by Alien Breed later that year, a top-down shooter set in an alien-infested that emphasized fast-paced arcade action and became an early commercial success, spawning a long-running series. Subsequent titles in 1992 included the Project X and the stealth-action game Assassin, alongside ports and expansions that built the company's reputation for polished titles blending arcade mechanics with innovative gameplay. By 1993–1994, releases such as Superfrog (a 2D platformer) and Body Blows (a inspired by ) further diversified the portfolio, with development handled by a small team of programmers, artists, and musicians. In 1993, Team17 received the Golden Joystick Award for Software House of the Year, recognizing its rapid output of quality games amid a competitive market dominated by larger publishers. The period culminated in 1995 with the relocation to a larger 16,500-square-foot headquarters in , , and the debut of Worms, a turn-based strategy game published in partnership with that sold over 250,000 copies in its first six months and laid the foundation for the company's flagship franchise. This era solidified Team17's position as a prolific indie developer, prioritizing technical innovation on 16-bit hardware while navigating the 's declining dominance in the mid-1990s console shift.

The Worms era and core franchises (1995–2010)

In 1995, Team17 released Worms, a turn-based featuring anthropomorphic worms battling across destructible landscapes with a variety of weapons and environmental hazards, initially for the and later ported to PC, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, and PlayStation through a publishing partnership with . The title exceeded expectations by selling over 250,000 copies in its first six months on Amiga alone and millions across platforms in the debut year, far surpassing the forecasted 60,000 units and establishing Worms as Team17's flagship franchise amid the Amiga market's decline following Commodore's 1994 bankruptcy. This success stemmed from the game's multiplayer focus, humorous customization options, and procedural terrain generation, which fostered replayability and a dedicated . The Worms series expanded rapidly with sequels emphasizing refined mechanics, enhanced graphics, and broader platform support. Key releases included Worms 2 in 1997 for PC, introducing water physics and improved AI; in 1999 for PC (later ported to PlayStation, , , and ), hailed as the series' pinnacle for its superior physics engine, vast weapon arsenal, and persistent via community-hosted servers. Subsequent entries ventured into 3D with in 2003, Worms Forts: Under Siege in 2004 featuring base-building elements, and Worms 4: Mayhem in 2005; portable adaptations like Worms: Open Warfare in 2006 for PSP and prioritized touch controls and ad-hoc multiplayer. By 2010, Team17 had developed 16 Worms titles, with the franchise generating sustained revenue through expansions, bundles, and mobile entries like the 2009 port, though over-reliance on iterative sequels strained innovation. Beyond Worms, Team17 maintained development on other franchises, though none achieved comparable longevity or sales. The Alien Breed series continued with in 1995, a transitioning the top-down sci-fi shooter roots to polygonal environments for , but it received mixed reception for technical limitations and failed to spawn major sequels until reboots post-2010. Sporadic titles included ports and licensed games such as Lemmings for PSP, PS2, and PS3 in the mid-2000s, in 2009, and Army Men: Major Malfunction in 2006, reflecting a diversification into third-party amid Worms' dominance. Financial pressures peaked in the late 2000s, with near-loss of the Worms IP to creditors and cumulative losses prompting a 2010 by executives, ousting founders and restructuring operations to prioritize profitability over expansion.

Transition to publishing and indie focus (2010–2018)

In 2010, Debbie Bestwick transitioned to sole chief executive officer of Team17 following a management buyout that saw co-managers Michael Robinson and Martyn Brown depart, consolidating leadership after her joint CEO role since 2009. Under her direction, the company emphasized self-publishing its existing franchises, such as Worms, through digital platforms, capitalizing on renewed interest in classic titles via services like Steam. This period marked a pivot from traditional retail and third-party dependencies toward digital distribution, enabling direct-to-consumer releases and reducing intermediary costs. By 2013, Team17 re-entered third-party publishing after a nearly two-decade hiatus, opening a dedicated publishing office in the Midlands to support independent developers. The initiative focused on indie games, with the first signed title being Light, developed by Just a Pixel and announced on November 12, 2013. Subsequent releases expanded the portfolio, including The Escapists in 2015 by Mouldy Toof, which simulated prison escapes and sold over one million copies across platforms. Flockers (2014) and Overcooked! (2016) followed, the latter's cooperative cooking chaos earning critical acclaim and multiple awards for its innovative multiplayer design. By 2018, publications like Overcooked! 2 and Yoku's Island Express—the latter winning a BAFTA for Best Debut Game—solidified Team17's reputation as an indie publisher, fostering partnerships with studios worldwide and preparing the ground for its public listing. This indie focus diversified revenue beyond Worms, with publishing comprising a growing share of output amid the rising indie market.

IPO, growth, and operational challenges (2018–2023)

Team17 Group plc listed on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange on May 23, 2018, raising £107.5 million through its initial public offering. The funds were primarily allocated to repaying existing debt and distributing proceeds to pre-IPO shareholders, positioning the company for expanded publishing activities. Post-IPO, Team17 achieved sustained revenue growth, with annual turnover rising from £43.2 million in 2018 (a 46% increase from £29.6 million in 2017) to £61.8 million in 2019, £83.0 million in 2020, £90.5 million in 2021 (up 9% year-over-year), £142.3 million in 2022, and £159.1 million in 2023 (a 12% rise from 2022). This expansion stemmed from a robust pipeline of releases, back-catalog sales, and diversification into educational apps via acquisitions such as StoryToys in July 2021 for $26.5 million and astragon Entertainment in January 2022 for up to €100 million (£83 million). The publishing model emphasized premium independent titles, contributing the majority of revenue, with gross margins holding steady around 40-50% amid scaling operations. By late 2023, Team17 encountered operational hurdles in its Games Label division, including inefficiencies in and elevated costs from marketing and development overruns. Management responded with a comprehensive restructure, encompassing cost-cutting measures, pipeline reviews, and redundancies impacting approximately 40 roles across departments. This followed a November 2023 profit warning, which highlighted underperforming titles and higher-than-expected expenses, culminating in a pre-tax loss for the year driven by one-off restructuring charges despite revenue gains. The changes also involved the departure of CEO Will Gibson, amid broader industry pressures from post-pandemic market normalization and intensified competition in indie publishing.

Rebranding, acquisitions, and market adaptation (2024–present)

In January 2025, Team17 Group plc announced its rebranding to everplay group plc, effective from February 2025, to better reflect its diversified corporate structure comprising independent divisions including the core Team17 indie games developer and publisher, children's media firm StoryToys, and publisher Astragon Entertainment. The rebrand aimed to address prior confusion in that hindered investor communications and internal collaboration, positioning everplay as an umbrella entity focused on long-term growth across indie games, premium mobile apps, and titles. Trading in shares under the new ticker "EVPL" commenced on the AIM market on January 24, 2025. The company expressed intent to pursue as a core element of its expansion strategy, building on prior deals to bolster its portfolio in indie publishing and adjacent sectors, though no major new acquisitions were completed in 2024 or early 2025. This approach followed a period of operational streamlining, including layoffs in late 2023, amid a broader industry emphasis on cost efficiency and selective investments. Financially, everplay reported robust 2024 performance with full-year revenues and adjusted EBITDA exceeding market expectations, driven primarily by back-catalogue sales that accounted for over 90% of income, as new title releases contributed less than 10%. First-half 2024 revenues rose 11% to £80.6 million, supported by franchises and a pivot toward higher-margin, lower-risk publishing of established IP over speculative new launches. This adaptation aligned with market trends favoring sustainable profitability, with the group emphasizing in its indie-focused pipeline while exploring opportunities in mobile and verticals under the restructured everplay framework.

Games and Franchises

Internally developed titles

Team17's internally developed titles originated in the early with -focused games, emphasizing action, shooters, and genres, before evolving into the enduring Worms artillery series and select modern releases. The company's in-house development emphasized technical innovation for platforms like Commodore and early PCs, producing titles such as Full Contact (1991), a , and Project-X (1992), a . These early efforts laid the groundwork for Team17's reputation in 2D gameplay and multiplayer mechanics. The Alien Breed series, launched in 1991, exemplifies Team17's early internal work in top-down shooters, featuring fast-paced alien combat and atmospheric horror elements across multiple entries, including Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues (1993) and Alien Breed: Tower Assault (1994). Similarly, the Body Blows fighting series (1993–1994) delivered pixel-art brawlers with combo systems, culminating in Ultimate Body Blows. Other notable pre-Worms internals include Superfrog (1993), a platformer with puzzle elements, and Arcade Pool (1994), a realistic billiards simulator ported to various platforms. The Worms franchise, debuting in 1995, remains Team17's flagship internally developed series, comprising over 20 mainline titles through 2020, including (1999), renowned for its turn-based artillery combat, destructible terrain, and humorous worm characters sold over 4 million units by 2000. Subsequent entries like Worms 2 (1997), (1998), (2003), Worms 4: Mayhem (2005), and (2016) expanded to 3D models, consoles, and crafting mechanics while retaining core 2D roots. Remasters such as Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition (2024) continue internal updates. In the , Team17 revived internal development beyond Worms with titles like Flockers (2014), a Lemmings-inspired puzzle-platformer, and (2017), a sandbox escape simulation emphasizing crafting and routines, achieving over 1 million sales. The Survivalists (2020), an open-world with monkey companions and base-building, was crafted in-house, selling steadily on multiple platforms. (2023), a horror set in a radio station during a slasher scenario, marked a narrative-driven internal . These later internals reflect Team17's shift toward accessible, co-op-focused designs amid publishing growth.

Published third-party games

Team17's publishing operations, primarily under the Team17 Digital label established in the early , emphasize partnerships with independent developers to bring third-party titles to market across PC, consoles, and mobile platforms. This model provides funding, marketing, , and global distribution support, enabling studios—often first-time or mid-sized teams—to focus on development while leveraging Team17's expertise in player acquisition and long-term content updates. By 2023, the portfolio encompassed over 120 third-party games, spanning genres from cooperative simulations to , with a emphasis on innovative indie experiences that prioritize depth over high budgets. Key third-party publications have driven significant revenue and awards, including BAFTA wins for titles like . The strategy prioritizes genre diversity and platform agnosticism, resulting in hits such as Dredge (2023), a fishing-themed Lovecraftian adventure by Black Salt Games that sold over 1 million copies within months of launch, and (2019 full release), a realistic shooter by Black Matter that supports 100-player battles and has maintained strong multiplayer communities.
TitleDeveloperInitial Release DateNotable Details
The EscapistsMouldy ToadJuly 23, 2015 (PC)Sandbox prison escape simulation emphasizing creative problem-solving; spawned sequels and spin-offs.
Overcooked!Ghost Town GamesAugust 7, 2016Chaotic co-op cooking game; series has sold millions, highlighting Team17's support for accessible multiplayer indies.
April 11, 20173D platformer successor to style; published across multiple platforms with expansions.
Black MatterOctober 5, 2021Large-scale WWII FPS with tactical realism; began June 2018, focusing on historical authenticity.
DredgeBlack Salt GamesMarch 30, 2023Narrative-driven fishing horror; rapid sales success validated Team17's curation of niche experiential games.
These titles exemplify Team17's selective approach, favoring developers with strong creative visions over mass-market appeals, though not all publications achieve equal commercial viability, as evidenced by varied review aggregates and ongoing post-launch support requirements.

Key franchises and spin-offs

The Worms franchise, launched with the original Worms game on November 15, 1995, for and other platforms, represents Team17's foundational , centered on turn-based strategy involving customizable worm teams wielding cartoonish weapons in destructible environments. The series has generated over 30 titles, with core entries emphasizing multiplayer chaos and physics-based , while accumulating sales exceeding 20 million units across its lifespan. Its enduring appeal stems from iterative refinements in humor, customization, and cross-platform , though later installments faced for incremental changes over . Numerous spin-offs have diversified the franchise beyond traditional 2D turn-based roots. Worms Armageddon (released December 1, 1999), often hailed as a pinnacle for its advanced particle effects, scheme editor, and robust multiplayer, served as a standalone evolution from Worms 2 and influenced subsequent remasters like the 2024 Anniversary Edition. (May 20, 2003) shifted to polygonal models and real-time elements, expanding terrain navigation but drawing mixed reception for control challenges in the third dimension. Other variants include (March 22, 2002), a puzzle-action hybrid with block-matching mechanics; Worms Forts: Under Siege (September 3, 2004), incorporating base-building and siege warfare; and Worms Crazy Golf (May 20, 2010), adapting worm antics to physics-based mini-golf courses. More recent experiments like (December 1, 2020), a real-time arena brawler supporting 32-player cross-play, aimed to modernize the formula but underperformed commercially, prompting Team17 to pivot back toward remasters. Beyond Worms, Team17 has cultivated additional key franchises through acquisitions. The 2022 purchase of intellectual property rights for £46 million from Black Matter Games elevated the tactical multiplayer shooter—featuring 100-player battles, authentic ballistics, and role-based gameplay—into a owned asset, with ongoing expansions like the Vietnam DLC reinforcing its revenue stream amid 2 million lifetime players. The 2022 astragon Entertainment acquisition brought simulation-focused series such as Police Simulator: Patrol Officers (launched 2021, with expansions through 2025) and , emphasizing procedural enforcement and heavy machinery operation, which have sustained steady sales in the niche genre without the volatility of action titles. These properties underscore Team17's strategy of bolstering evergreen IPs amid a portfolio increasingly reliant on third-party publishing.

Cancelled and abandoned projects

Team17 has pursued multiple game projects that were cancelled prior to release, primarily during its early expansion into new genres and platforms in the and early . These cancellations often stemmed from resource constraints, shifting priorities toward successful franchises like Worms, and challenges with project scope or financial viability. Witchwood, an action-adventure RPG inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, entered development in 1994 through Synergy Software, with Team17 as publisher. The game featured British folklore elements, including a hero named Pip combating a witch transformed into a tree, decision-based AI, inventory management, shops, and multiple overworld sections with boss fights. Planned for PC, Amiga, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation, it incorporated a folk-inspired soundtrack by Bjørn Lynne. Development halted in late 1995 after Team17 relocated Synergy to its Wakefield offices for oversight, due to slow progress, feature creep, and a strategic pivot to the burgeoning Worms series, which had sold millions of units. No official explanation was provided at the time, though a tech demo and trailers have since surfaced from archival sources. P.I.G. (short for "Private Investigator George") was a 3D platform adventure initiated around 1996 for PlayStation and PC, targeting a spring 1999 release. The title starred a pig navigating eight themed worlds—such as Mars and the —with approximately 40 sub-levels, minigames, and over 60 NPCs in a style akin to . Announced in gaming magazines like Total Control in November 1998, the project was abandoned after more than two years, likely tied to Team17's financial losses on unreleased titles amid a post-Worms focus on core competencies, as noted in executive interviews. No screenshots or footage remain publicly available. In the Alien Breed franchise, Team17 attempted revivals that did not materialize. Alien Breed: Conflict (also known as Alien Breed Action or ABA), a first-person shooter sequel to Alien Breed 3D II: The Killing Grounds, began development in 1999 for PC and Dreamcast. It emphasized real-time 3D strategy, special operations missions, character progression, and multiplayer elements but was cancelled around 2000 due to its overwhelming scope exceeding available resources. Similarly, Alien Breed 2K4 (or AB2004), announced in 2003 for PlayStation 2 using the Snowblind engine, was shelved by early 2005; this sci-fi shooter drew from Alien films but saw no release, potentially influencing later entries like Alien Breed: Evolution.

Business Operations

Financial trajectory and public listing

Team17 operated privately for much of its history, with revenues accelerating in the mid-2010s amid a shift toward and . For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the company reported £29.6 million in , representing more than a doubling from 2015 figures driven by successful titles like . Over the preceding three-year period, grew at a compound annual rate of 69%, while adjusted EBITDA expanded at 80%, reflecting operational leverage from low-overhead deals and catalog sales. The company pursued an initial public offering to fund acquisitions, repay debt, and enable shareholder liquidity amid booming demand for indie labels. Team17 Group plc commenced trading on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange on May 23, 2018, following the pricing of its IPO at 130 pence per share. The offering raised £107.5 million in gross proceeds from 27.3 million new shares and the sale of 37.8 million existing shares, yielding an initial market capitalization of approximately £217 million. Funds primarily serviced legacy debt from private equity backers like Lloyds Development Capital and provided distributions to pre-IPO investors, while bolstering the balance sheet for portfolio expansion. Post-listing, Team17 capitalized on hits such as and acquisitions like astragon Entertainment to drive revenue scaling, with the portfolio expanding to over 90 titles by late 2018. This fueled multi-year growth, though the company encountered headwinds from release delays, licensing timing variances, and elevated development costs by 2023, prompting a profit warning that erased 40% of share value in a single session. For 2023, revenue advanced amid a broader portfolio but gross profit contracted 17% to £57.5 million and adjusted EBITDA dropped 39% to £29.9 million, attributable to underperformance in select third-party titles and integration expenses. In the first half of 2024, revenue climbed 11% to £80.6 million, supported by 25% growth in first-party IP contributions reaching 42% of total, signaling stabilization efforts. The entity rebranded as Everplay Group plc in January 2025, retaining its AIM listing under the TM17 ticker initially transitioned to EVPL, to encompass diversified subsidiaries while preserving core gaming focus.

Corporate structure, acquisitions, and subsidiaries

Team17 functions as the independent games and development division within everplay group plc, the parent listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker EVPL, following the rebranding from Team17 Group plc on January 23, 2025. The overall corporate structure of everplay group plc centers on three core operating divisions—Team17, astragon (focused on titles), and StoryToys (specializing in children's edutainment apps)—with over 350 employees across eight locations in five countries as of 2024. This divisional model supports diversified revenue streams, with Team17 handling premium , while astragon and StoryToys target niche and mobile educational markets, respectively. Key subsidiaries under the Team17 division include Yippee Entertainment Ltd., acquired on January 2, 2020, for £1.4 million (approximately $1.85 million), which operates as a wholly owned entity developing family-oriented games and third-party titles. Another significant acquisition is The Label Inc., a San Francisco-based mobile games publisher purchased in February 2022 to bolster Team17's mobile portfolio, integrating its operations to expand cross-platform publishing capabilities. At the group level, everplay group plc (formerly Team17 Group) expanded through strategic buys, including StoryToys Entertainment Limited in July 2021 for an initial $26.5 million plus up to $22.5 million in contingent payments, enhancing edutainment offerings. Astragon GmbH was acquired on January 13, 2022, for up to €100 million (£83 million), incorporating its game expertise and subsequent subsidiary Independent Arts Software GmbH in 2023. These moves, totaling five major acquisitions by September 2025 across the , , , and , have fortified the group's IP ownership (35% of sales) and back-catalogue reliance (70% of revenue), though they involved contingent considerations tied to post-acquisition performance targets.

Strategic shifts in publishing model

In the early , Team17 transitioned from primarily developing its own , such as the Worms franchise, to establishing a third-party indie publishing arm in , partnering with external developers to co-fund, market, and distribute premium titles across platforms. This model emphasized creative support for indie studios while retaining revenue shares, enabling diversification beyond owned IP amid a booming indie sector. By 2017, owned IP accounted for 50% of revenue, with the remainder from third-party publications, reflecting an initial balanced approach. Following its IPO, Team17 accelerated third-party as a growth driver, with such titles comprising 83% of revenue by 2019 through selective partnerships yielding hits like Overcooked! (initially third-party before IP acquisition). This expansion relied on a scalable model of providing services— including QA, localization, and —without full ownership, but exposed vulnerabilities to pipeline variability and developer dependencies. By the early 2020s, amid market saturation and post-pandemic delays, Team17 shifted toward bolstering owned and controlled IP to mitigate risks, acquiring the intellectual property and publisher The Label for over £80 million in January 2022, alongside back-catalog rights for titles like Golf With Your Friends. This pivot increased first-party contributions to 35% of group sales by fiscal year 2023, with plans to expand this share through lifecycle extensions via DLC and updates, which drove 74% of revenue from back-catalog games. The strategy emphasized franchise-building over one-off releases, integrating acquired assets into a unified pipeline for sustained profitability. Recent innovations include refined greenlighting criteria prioritizing player data and market fit, alongside adaptive models like hybrid free-to-play elements in select titles and enhanced post-launch support to align with evolving developer needs. The 2025 rebranding of the parent company to Everplay Group PLC underscored this evolution, positioning Team17 as a hybrid publisher-developer focused on both first- and third-party IP while optimizing for long-tail revenue. These adjustments addressed earlier over-reliance on external pipelines, prioritizing owned assets for resilience in a consolidating industry.

Controversies and Criticisms

NFT initiative backlash and internal revelations (2022)

On January 31, 2022, Team17 announced MetaWorms, a generative NFT collection featuring Worms franchise characters on the , marketed as an "environmentally friendly" initiative with proceeds intended for carbon offsetting and game development support. The project faced swift backlash from fans, who criticized it as a cash grab amid broader skepticism toward NFTs in gaming, and from publishing partners including Aggro Crab Games, whose Going Under was delisted from Team17's portfolio in response, and , which publicly distanced itself. Less than 24 hours later, on February 1, 2022, Team17 canceled the project entirely, stating it had "listened to our Teamsters, development partners, and our games' communities" and would not pursue NFTs further. The rapid reversal highlighted internal divisions, as multiple employees later revealed unanimous staff opposition to the NFT push, describing it as a "monumentally stupid" decision driven by senior leadership despite warnings about reputational risks and market trends. The controversy prompted anonymous employee disclosures of broader internal issues, including chronically low pay—such as junior roles at around £20,000 annually—excessive without compensation, and inadequate responses to reports, where HR allegedly prioritized protecting accused managers over victims. Rapid post-IPO expansion strained resources, leading to burnout and a culture where feedback from lower-level staff was routinely ignored by executives, exemplified by CEO Debbie Bestwick's post expressing "shock" at peer criticism of the NFTs and defending the company's ethics. These revelations, detailed in a February 10, 2022, investigation, underscored a disconnect between public-facing decisions and employee realities, contributing to perceptions of mismanagement at the publicly listed firm.

Management practices, workplace conditions, and staff exodus

In February 2022, following public backlash over Team17's abandoned Worms NFT initiative, an Eurogamer investigation uncovered employee allegations of systemic management shortcomings, including disregard for staff input on major decisions and a focus on rapid game publishing at the expense of quality. Employees described upper management as prioritizing deadlines over thorough quality assurance, with bug reports frequently ignored to adhere to targets of releasing one game per month, resulting in underperforming titles patched post-launch. One QA tester noted that this approach stemmed from "ruthless" scheduling, where pre-release fixes were deprioritized despite internal warnings. Workplace conditions were characterized by low pay and intense workloads, particularly in the QA department, where junior roles paid £16,000 to £19,000 annually—up from £13,000 prior to 2021 adjustments—leaving staff struggling with basic expenses amid rising costs. Employees reported routine unpaid , including late nights and weekends on specific projects lasting months, contributing to burnout and eroded morale after the company's public listing shifted its culture from familial to high-pressure. Instances of , such as degrading messages from colleagues, were allegedly mishandled by HR, which minimized complaints, gaslighted victims, or instructed them to resolve issues independently without formal action. Colleagues often intervened informally due to perceived HR inefficacy, exacerbating distrust in . These practices fueled a high staff turnover rate, with multiple departures cited on platforms like amid complaints of overwork and uncompetitive compensation, even as the company reported record profits in 2021 yet reduced bonuses by over £1,000 per employee. Team17 acknowledged challenges like staff attrition and project overload in a CEO statement, promising an "extensive review" of policies but denying widespread issues and highlighting prior pay uplifts. Employee reviews on , averaging 2.8 out of 5 as of recent data, echoed themes of poor management treatment and stagnant career progression, though some praised camaraderie.

Restructuring, layoffs, and leadership changes (2023)

In June 2023, Team17 Group PLC announced that long-serving Group CEO Debbie Bestwick would step down by the end of the year, with Steve Bell, former co-founder and CEO of marketing agency Iris, appointed as her successor effective January 1, 2024; Bell joined the board as CEO designate on September 4, 2023, to facilitate a handover. On October 2, 2023, Team17 initiated a major process, prompting a consultation period set to conclude in , aimed at streamlining operations amid challenging market conditions in the gaming industry. The restructuring led to redundancies totaling approximately 50 positions initially, with the majority affecting the company's (QA) department, as Team17 sought to reduce internal overheads and refocus on third-party and external development support. Subsequent reporting indicated the cuts could extend to 91 roles, representing about one-third of Team17's workforce of roughly 270 employees at the time, raising concerns among staff about the loss of specialized skills in areas like QA and internal development that might take years to rebuild. As part of the October restructuring, Michael Pattison, CEO of Team17 Digital—the company's publishing division—departed the firm on amicable terms, with the company confirming the separation in a statement emphasizing a mutual parting of ways. This exit compounded the leadership transition already underway, as Team17 navigated broader industry-wide pressures including post-pandemic market corrections and reduced on non-essential entertainment. The moves were positioned by the company as necessary for long-term sustainability, though they contributed to perceptions of internal upheaval at the publisher known for titles like Worms and .

Reception and Legacy

Critical and commercial achievements

Team17's Worms franchise, launched in 1995, has achieved significant commercial longevity, with over 75 million units sold worldwide as of 2020. The series' enduring appeal has contributed substantially to the company's back-catalogue revenue, which accounted for 92% of Team17's approximately £80 million in first-half 2024 earnings. Other flagship titles, such as , have generated over $100 million in revenue with an estimated 9.8 million units sold across platforms. followed closely with $104.5 million in revenue and around 4 million units. Collectively, Team17's portfolio of 58 published games has amassed roughly $487 million in lifetime revenue, underscoring its success in indie premium publishing. Critically, Team17 titles have earned recognition for innovative gameplay and design. DREDGE, released in 2023, received nominations for four BAFTA Games Awards in 2024, including Debut Game, Game Design, and Narrative. Overcooked! 2 secured BAFTA nominations in 2019 for categories such as Multiplayer and Family. Yoku's Island Express also garnered a BAFTA nomination that year for its platforming mechanics. The publisher itself won the Publishing Star award at the 2023 Develop:Star Awards, reflecting industry acknowledgment of its support for indie developers. Across its releases, Team17 maintains an average Metacritic score of 71, with consistent positive-to-mixed reception for titles emphasizing co-operative and strategic elements.

Industry impact and innovations

Team17's Worms series, originating with the 1995 release of Worms, innovated within the artillery strategy genre by integrating platforming mechanics into traditionally fixed-screen , enabling worms to traverse destructible, physics-simulated landscapes with tools like bazookas and grenades. This combination of , environmental destruction, and customizable humorous weaponry—featuring voice samples and animations—distinguished it from predecessors like , fostering replayability through multiplayer chaos and strategic depth that sold millions of copies across platforms including , PC, and consoles. Subsequent entries, such as Worms 2 (1997), advanced this with a new engine supporting enhanced cartoonish visuals, larger teams, and expanded weapon variety, while Worms Armageddon (1999) refined multiplayer modes and introduced persistent worlds, sustaining the franchise's cultural longevity over three decades. In game publishing, Team17 shifted from in-house development to a low-risk indie-focused model around 2010, incubating over 70 external studios through co-development, support, and physical workspace integration, which enabled titles like (2015) to surpass 4 million downloads by prioritizing developer autonomy over rigid control. This approach contrasted conventional publishing by offering tiered revenue shares tied to milestones and long-term partnerships, helping small teams achieve sustainability—as seen with Unicube Studios post-Sheltered (2016)—and amassing a catalog of 90+ premium indie games across genres. Early adoption of digital storefronts, including and the by the mid-2000s, broadened indie accessibility and influenced the sector's pivot toward platform-agnostic distribution. These efforts positioned Team17 as a bridge between Amiga-era innovation and modern indie ecosystems, promoting collaborative models that mitigated risks for creators in a competitive market while emphasizing quality curation over volume, though reliant on hits like for outsized returns.

Ongoing criticisms and market perceptions

Team17 has faced ongoing scrutiny for its heavy dependence on legacy titles, with new releases in contributing less than 10% of overall revenue, highlighting challenges in revitalizing its publishing pipeline amid a competitive indie market. This reliance on back-catalogue sales, while providing stability—evidenced by an 11% revenue increase to £80.6 million in the first half of —has drawn criticism for masking underlying weaknesses in innovation and hit generation, as newer titles failed to meet profitability expectations similar to those in 2023. Market perceptions reflect skepticism toward the company's post-restructuring trajectory, with shares declining 43% over the past year and 70% over three years as of early , underperforming broader indices and signaling doubts about sustained growth. Analysts have noted reinvestment at lower rates of return, contributing to a 26% drop over five years, though recent upgrades, such as Jefferies' December assessment citing 85% upside potential from new management and a low-investment model, suggest emerging optimism tied to refocused indie publishing and potential M&A activity. Insider share sales in late have tempered this, interpreted by some as a lack of despite robust net cash positions. Critics in industry commentary point to structural issues, including a pre-2025 corporate complexity that hindered investor clarity and internal cohesion, addressed via rebranding but underscoring prior mismanagement perceptions. While financials show resilience—such as positive EBITDA growth in early 2025—ongoing concerns persist over execution risks in a sector plagued by layoffs and profit volatility, with Team17's history amplifying wariness among shareholders.

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  63. https://storytoys.com/blog/storytoys-has-been-acquired-by-team17/
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