Double Fine Owns IP and Publishing Rights for All of Its Games Following Xbox Split, Psychonauts Studio Confirms
Double Fine Productions has regained full ownership and publishing rights for all games it developed while operating under Microsoft’s Xbox division. CEO Tim Schafer announced the split during an appearance on the Kinda Funny Games podcast, confirming that the studio now earns 100% of revenue from sales of its Xbox-era catalog, including titles like Psychonauts 2 and Brutal Legend.
The developer had operated as part of Microsoft’s first-party studios since the company’s acquisition in 2018. With this transition to independence, Double Fine has reclaimed control of its intellectual property and publishing operations, allowing the studio to directly benefit financially from all subsequent sales of these games.
While Steam’s storefront listings for Double Fine’s games still attribute them to Xbox Game Studios as the publisher, Schafer noted that this is merely a technical matter that will be updated as processing completes.
The move coincides with Double Fine’s return to crowdfunding, with a Kickstarter campaign launching later this month. This marks a significant shift for the veteran studio, as it transitions from being a first-party Microsoft developer to operating independently. The studio’s founder and CEO emphasized that supporting Double Fine’s previous releases directly contributes to funding the studio’s continued creative work going forward.