Midwest Games Hires Former Bungie Executive to Launch Innovative ‘Shadow Publishing’ Initiative

Former Bungie vice president of production, Elizabeth Howard, has joined Midwest Games, a U.S. publisher, as the company prepares to launch a new “shadow publishing” framework.

Howard has taken on the role of chief advisor for services at Midwest, aiming to deliver “customized publishing solutions that empower game creators and provide exceptional experiences for gamers.”

Before her tenure at Midwest, Howard directed Bungie’s development and publishing production teams on Destiny 2: The Witch Queen. She also held significant positions at 2K and Aspyr, acting as vice president of publishing operations and VP of publishing, respectively.

Midwest was founded by former Harebrained Schemes and Netflix executives in 2023 to assist developers in the Midwest and other underrepresented U.S. regions achieve success.

The company has already released several titles such as Tombwater, The Tale of Baboo, and Duck Paradox.

Midwest has engaged Howard to lead its new shadow publishing strategy to provide “affordable, customized services for hire to development teams.” Commenting on her new position, Howard emphasized the importance of providing developers with adaptability in a changing game industry.

“For games to thrive, they must address all aspects of publishing throughout the entire development lifecycle, yet many studios lack the necessary resources,” she stated. “Although flexible models are available for development, that same flexibility has been absent in publishing—until now. Midwest Games’ shadow publishing presents a scalable solution that combines strategy and execution, allowing studios to concentrate on creating outstanding games.”

Midwest asserts its new comprehensive model will fill a “critical void in the market” by providing scaled support, pricing, and service timelines while allowing developers to retain IP and revenue rights. Midwest also states that developers will have “full control over publishing decisions.”

“With more games entering the market and fewer traditional publishing agreements available, studios face the challenging prospect of self-publishing. Midwest Games will provide both à la carte and full-service assistance on a work-for-hire basis, enabling developers to keep future profits and IP rights,” claimed Midwest in a statement.

“Midwest Games’ shadow publishing offers services before, during, and after the launch for PC and console games across all genres. The company highlights its location as a cost advantage to keep publishing support affordable, allowing more resources to be allocated directly to each game. Services will encompass the comprehensive requirements for launching a game, including Business & Publishing Strategy, Platform Management, Marketing and PR, and Developer Services.”

Midwest CEO Ben Kvalo stated that the publisher aims to empower its partners by sharing accurate insights and resources, feeling it was essential to bring in someone with Howard’s experience to oversee the new initiative.

“Midwest Games can assist studios in navigating a competitive and fragmented publishing landscape while safeguarding the value of their games and years of hard work for the long term,” he added. “We are extremely excited to have Elizabeth’s expertise in publishing and developer services lead the charge to support more games.”

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