Midwest Games is a Midwest-based publishing-services company that helps PC and console game teams with strategy, marketing, production, release support, and development work. Its “Shadow Publishing” model is offered as work for hire: the company says clients can choose a complete package or specific services while retaining their intellectual property, revenue, and decision-making control.
Why Midwest Games started in the Midwest
Midwest Games launched in 2023 with a stated aim of creating opportunities for developers in the Midwest and other regions it considers underserved. The launch announcement named founder Ben Kvalo, identified Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the company’s base, and introduced RA RA BOOM, a game by Cincinnati-based Gylee Games, as its debut title. Midwest Games’ launch announcement
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In an August 2024 interview with GamesBeat, Kvalo described seeing talented developers and studios in the Midwest with fewer local funding and publishing opportunities than their counterparts in established game-industry hubs. He pointed to universities, a talent pipeline, existing studios, and lower operating costs as reasons to build a stronger regional ecosystem. That is Kvalo’s interview-era perspective, not a current census of the region. GamesBeat’s interview with Kvalo
The same 2024 interview estimated that Wisconsin had about 800 game jobs and that Midwest Games had 10 people at the time. Those are historical estimates from the interview, not current counts. Kvalo summarized the mission as supporting developers in the region and elsewhere: “We put our flag in the ground and say it can be done here, and we want to support folks that are here and in other underserved regions throughout the world, where it’s a very similar story, there’s strong talent pipeline, but there’s not a lot of opportunities.”
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The company’s current framing is broader than the Midwest alone. Its about page says it champions teams around the world while remaining proudly based in the Midwest. It presents its values as support for well-supported teams, community, integrity, strong relationships, and long-term value. Midwest Games’ about page
What “Shadow Publishing” means for a developer
Midwest Games describes Shadow Publishing as a work-for-hire service for PC and console games. A studio can engage the company for comprehensive publishing support or select particular areas of work. The company says clients do not have to surrender IP rights or revenue and remain in control of decisions. Those are the company’s stated model terms; the contract for any specific engagement is what determines the actual rights, fees, scope, and responsibilities. Midwest Games’ services page
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This is a different proposition from a traditional publishing deal in which a publisher may fund development or marketing in exchange for rights or a share of revenue. In its February 2025 announcement, Midwest Games positioned work for hire as a way for developers to obtain publishing expertise while retaining future revenue and IP. That is the company’s rationale for its model, not independent market analysis. Midwest Games’ Shadow Publishing announcement
Services available across a game’s lifecycle
The service menu ranges from early commercial planning to launch execution and development support. The specific combination depends on a project’s needs; the company does not publish a standard package price or universal engagement terms on its services page.
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| Area | Examples of listed work |
|---|---|
| Business and publishing strategy | Platform evaluation, market research, licensing, distribution, partnerships, and planning. |
| Marketing | Social media, influencer work, paid media, public relations, events, storefront optimization, and audience positioning. |
| Production and release | Planning, quality assurance, localization, platform management, and release management. |
| Developer services | Console porting, co-development, cinematics, art and animation, game design, UI, and UX. |
In a company-published interview in February 2026, Kvalo described strategy, production, marketing, and development as four core areas among what he characterized as more than 40 disciplines in game publishing. Midwest Games’ news and interview page
Who the company works with
Midwest Games’ client page features case studies involving GameMill Entertainment, 1 Simple Game, Devhouse, and Might & Delight. The examples and partner testimonials describe work such as content-capture hiring, design and market perspective, publishing and marketing advice, TikTok reach, and platform and release management. They illustrate the kinds of engagements the company reports; the page does not provide independent measurements establishing the outcomes. Midwest Games’ client page
The company’s homepage also points to work spanning an indie mobile-to-PC release, pre-release community building, early consulting, and marketing for Twinkleby. These examples suggest that its offer is not limited to one kind of studio or one stage of a game’s development. Midwest Games’ homepage
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The company’s about page lists Ben Kvalo as founder and CEO, Jen Corbett as CMO, Adam Orth as COO, and Cisco Maldonado as chief strategy officer. Kvalo’s biography says he has published “100+ game titles and 50+ films”; those are company-published résumé figures, not independently verified here. Midwest Games’ about page
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A March 2026 company announcement said Orth had joined as COO and that Maldonado and Charlotte Cook had joined as executive advisers. The announcement also described an expansion in Europe and named Chimera Entertainment and Mindscape as partners. These are developments as reported by the company. Midwest Games’ company announcement
Midwest Games also announced an investment of up to $2 million from Prevail Private Capital. The announcement is dated January 29, 2026, but carries a September 22, 2025 dateline, so the timing is inconsistent in the company’s published page. The amount and investor relationship are company-reported. Midwest Games’ investment announcement
What a prospective client should clarify
The public description gives a useful outline of the model, but it is not a substitute for a project proposal. A studio evaluating Midwest Games—or comparing it with a conventional publisher or another vendor—should establish the details in writing:
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- Scope: Which deliverables are included, and which are optional or out of scope?
- Commercial terms: What are the fees, payment milestones, and any other costs? The company’s public services information does not state standard prices.
- Rights and control: How does the contract define ownership of IP, revenue, approvals, and decision-making for the particular engagement?
- Lifecycle and platforms: Which pre-launch, launch, or post-launch tasks are covered, and for which platforms?
- Availability: The company’s page about invested publishing partnerships says, “As of Jan. ‘25,” it was not accepting partnered games. That notice is dated January 2025 and does not establish availability in October 2026; confirm current capacity and whether the project fits a services-for-hire engagement. Midwest Games’ partnered-games page
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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