Blackbird Interactive
Vancouver-based independent developer founded 2010 by former Relic veterans. Made Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Homeworld 3, Hardspace: Shipbreaker — full IP rights to Hardspace re-acquired from Focus Entertainment in 2025.
- Type: Developer · Buyer
- Headquarters: Canada
- Data updated: 15 Nov 2026
Key facts
- According to Games Atlas analysis of shipped-game credits, Blackbird Interactive published or developed 8 games released 2015–2026 (+1 as distributor or contractor).
- Games Atlas data shows 6 of 8 Blackbird Interactive titles with known production credits (75%) used external service partners.
- The most frequent external partner on Blackbird Interactive titles is Lionbridge Technologies (3 shared credits, 2017–2024).
- Games Atlas tracked 5 news stories about Blackbird Interactive in the last 24 months.
How to cite this page
Games Atlas — Games Industry Intelligence (2026). Blackbird Interactive — company profile. Data updated 15 Nov 2026. https://gamesatlas.app/companies/blackbird-interactive
What Blackbird Interactive outsources and how open it is to new partners
The verdict rates how hard it is for a new vendor to win work in each discipline: how much of the work goes to outside vendors rather than staying inside, whether the same partners come back or change from project to project, and how often first-time partners got in over recent years.
- QA and testing services: Open: partners change from project to project. Sourcing model: spread across many vendors (2 vendors per title, typical 1.4). 5 of 5 titles with detailed credits since 2015 used an external partner (100%); 7 external partners, 3 of them returning (100% of outsourced titles), most often GlobalStep (40%); since 2022: 4 first-time partners on 75% of 4 outsourced titles. Small base: a first signal, not a settled pattern.
- Additional development & engineering: Open: partners change from project to project. Sourcing model: regularly outsourced (1 vendors per title, typical 1.7). 4 of 5 titles with detailed credits since 2015 used an external partner (80%); 4 external partners, 0 of them returning (0% of outsourced titles), most often Anemone Hug Interactive (25%); since 2022: 3 first-time partners on 100% of 3 outsourced titles. Small base: a first signal, not a settled pattern.
- Audio design and production services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Localisation services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Art, assets and fonts production services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Casting services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Trailers, cinematics and cut-scenes Production services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Storytelling and narrative services: Full breakdown available to registered members.
- Lead & co-development: Full breakdown available to registered members.
Members-only data, free account. The full sourcing breakdown for Blackbird Interactive is available to registered Games Atlas members. Registration is free. After sign-in, the page shows for Audio design and production services, Localisation services, Art, assets and fonts production services, Casting services, Trailers, cinematics and cut-scenes Production services, Storytelling and narrative services, Lead & co-development: share of titles outsourced, number of external partners, the largest vendors and their share, new partners in recent years, and how open each discipline is to new vendors, plus 31 more external partners. Create a free account.
External partners proven by shipped credits
- Lionbridge Technologies — QA and testing services, 3 shared credits, 2017–2024
- Virtuos — Additional development & engineering, 3 shared credits, 2017–2024
- Anemone Hug Interactive — Additional development & engineering, 2 shared credits, 2022–2022
- Arc Games (Gearbox Publishing SF, Perfect World Entertainment) — Publishing, 2 shared credits, 2016–2024
- Fellowship Entertainment — Porting services, Publishing, QA and testing services, 2 shared credits, 2015–2022
Latest related news
- Secret Mode skips RFP as sibling studio Blackbird Interactive scales Escape the Backrooms to 4 million players (2026-10-06)
- Polyarc shuts down as Meta Reality Labs pullback exposes VR platform-dependency risk (2026-09-11)
- Blackbird Interactive external development: inside the hybrid model funding original IP (2026-07-16)
- Secret Mode's Chained Together deal extends a PE-backed playbook for acquiring viral co-op IP (2026-06-05)
- Emona Capital uses Splash Damage games studio to roll up Gamepires in live-service consolidation play (2026-02-26)
Methodology
Source: Games Atlas (gamesatlas.app), based on MobyGames production credits and Games Atlas analysis; the sourcing figures cover work credited on releases from 2015 onwards. One game counts once regardless of platforms, editions or add-ons. Games Atlas does not estimate revenue or report the performance of individual games. Profile: https://gamesatlas.app/companies/blackbird-interactive