Exclusive: Midwest Games welcomes former Bungie exec to spearhead 'shadow publishing' initiativeExclusive: Midwest Games welcomes former Bungie exec to spearhead 'shadow publishing' initiative

Bungie's former vice president of production, Elizabeth Howard, has joined U.S. publisher Midwest Games as the company prepares to deploy a new "shadow publishing" model.

Howard has been named chief advisor of services at Midwest and will work to deliver "tailored publishing solutions that empower game developers and bring incredible experiences to players."

Prior to joining Midwest, Howard led Bungie development and publishing production teams on Destiny 2: The Final Shape. She also held key roles at 2K and Aspyr, serving as vice president of publishing operations and VP of publishing, respectively.

Midwest was established by former Harebrained Schemes and Netflix veterans in 2023 to help developers in the Midwest and other underrepresented U.S. regions find success.

The company has already published a range of titles including Tombwater, The Legend of Baboo, and Duck Paradox.

Midwest has recruited Howard to spearhead its new shadow publishing initiative to provide "cost-effective, tailored services for hire to development teams." Discussing her new role, Howard said it's vital to provide developers with flexibility in an evolving game market.

"To succeed, games need to hit all facets of publishing throughout the entire development lifecycle, yet many studios lack the resources," she added. "While flexible models exist for development, that same flexibility has been missing in publishing—until recently. Midwest Games shadow publishing provides a scalable solution that integrates strategy and execution so studios can focus on making great games."

Midwest claims its new full-service model will address a "critical gap in the market" by offering scaled support, pricing, and service timelines while allowing developers to retain IP and revenue rights. Midwest says developers will also have "full say over publishing decisions."

"More games entering the market and fewer traditional publishing deals available leaves studios with the daunting task of self-publishing. Midwest Games will offer both à la carte and full-service support on a work-for-hire basis, allowing developers to retain future revenue and IP rights," said Midwest in a statement.

"Midwest Games shadow publishing offers services before, during, and after launch for PC and console games of all genres. The company touts its location as an advantage in pricing to keep publishing support accessible and allow more funds to go directly into each game. Services will cover the full needs of bringing a game to market, including Business & Publishing Strategy, Platform Management, Marketing and PR, and Developer Services."

Midwest CEO Ben Kvalo said the publisher wants to empower partners by sharing the right knowledge and resources, and felt it was imperative someone with Howard's experience was brought in to oversee new initiative.

"Midwest Games can help studios navigate a competitive and fragmented publishing landscape while retaining the value of their game and years of hard work for the long term," he added. "We're incredibly excited to bring Elizabeth's leadership in publishing and developer services to spearhead the initiative to support more games."