Harebrained Schemes and Paradox end cooperation

Publisher is refocusing on its traditional niche

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Harebrained Schemes have announced an end to their partnership by January 1, 2024, under a mutual agreement, giving HBS freedom to pursue independent publishing, partnership, and investment opportunities.

The Seattle-based studio behind tactical games like Battletech and Shadowrun was acquired by the Swedish company in 2018. Its latest title, The Lamplighters League, was not a commercial success, which seems to have contributed to this split.

Charlotta Nilsson, the COO of Paradox, commented that the publisher “has refocused its strategy towards its core niches within strategy and management games with endless qualities,” meaning a “new project or sequel in the same genre was not in line with our portfolio plans. Hence, we believe that a separation would be the best way forward. We’re very happy that this talented, gifted studio has the chance to continue and can’t wait to see what they will make next.”

Personally, I love The Lamplighters League a lot :: Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive

For Paradox, that means titles like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, and Stellaris. Its next big release is Cities: Skylines 2, the sequel to Colossal Order’s iconic city-builder.

Support for The Lamplighters League will continue until the end of the year, according to HBS Operations Manager Brian Poel: “Harebrained Schemes will support The Lamplighters League through the end of the year while we seek funding and partnerships for an independent future in 2024. Our studio mission remains the same: to make games that challenge your mind and touch your heart.”

The Lamplighters League will remain a Paradox IP just like the rights to Battletech and Shadowrun still lay with Microsoft. Since Microsoft is investing a lot more into PC-focused genres at the moment, they may be a potential partner for HBS going forward.

A former HBS employee, who shared their thoughts on this matter through a Discord post, claimed that this move was in the works for longer and that Paradox had given up on The Lamplighters League way ahead of the game’s release, which is why it seems to have been given minimal marketing support.

The Lamplighters League is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. It’s playable via Xbox Game Pass since its release as well.

The Lamplighters League tips for beginners