Neowiz signs publishing deal with China’s indie game studio Shadowlight
Neowiz has signed a publishing deal with Chinese indie game developer Shadowlight for the global rights to their first title, Kill the Shadow.
The narrative-focused, suspenseful adventure game centers on a detective with time-rewinding abilities and features unique aesthetics that blend high-definition 3D environments with 2D pixel characters. Since the success of Neowiz‘s Lies of P in 2023, the company has been signing more deals with game devs such as Zakazane.
“What initially drew us to Shadowlight was a collaborative development philosophy to deliver premium narrative games for PC and console audiences,” said Kim Seung-chul, co-CEO of Neowiz, in a statement. “We look forward to working closely with the team to release Kill the Shadow globally, and we hope audiences find the same charm we experienced as we reveal more about the title.”
Kill the Shadow takes place in an alternate post-war divided city, where players must investigate and deduce a variety of bizarre cases. Shadowlight released a demo for its game during Steam Next Fest last year, where it received a very positive user rating. The comments praised its story, reasoning system and visual novelty.
“Neowiz is a reliable global publisher, and we were grateful to find a partner who shares our philosophy on game development,” said Black, CEO at Shadowlight, in a a statement. “As we see the games industry evolve to be inclusive of other cultures, it’s important to have a publisher that is open to collaborating and emphasizing the significance of your content.”
The latest publishing agreement with Shadowlight follows Neowiz’s partnerships with other projects from development teams, including Wolfeye Studios, Zakazane and Lizard Smoothie. Neowiz’s deal for Kill the Shadow reaffirms its vision for story-first games and its strategy to discover new IP that resonates with audiences worldwide.
Shadowlight is a young game studio in Shanghai founded by five recent graduates. The team has known each other for years and participated in many university-level game development competitions in China, earning numerous awards. In 2023, Hypergryph, the developer of Arknights, invested in Shadowlight and has been part of their Coreblazer incubator program ever since.
They dream of leaving their mark on the industry they love so much, bringing their own ideas and a touch of dark humor into the games they make.
