Jonathan Hales recently became the CEO of Megabit. In an interview with GamesMarkt, he discusses his new role, the highly competitive publishing market, and how Megabit is positioned to support both Aonic's internal studios and third-party partners.
GamesMarkt: After spending a long time at Kalypso Media and Kasedo Games, you decided to take on a new leadership role at Megabit Publishing. Why was this change so appealing to you?
Jonathan Hales: "There was an obvious and exciting alignment of ambition between me and Megabit. To fulfil that is a challenge, but with truly excellent titles in our portfolio - both those publicly announced and those not yet revealed - together with the strength of Aonic’s first-party development studios and publishing partners such as Red Thread Games, the appeal was clear from the very first conversation. I wanted to be part of something special."
GamesMarkt: At the end of 2025, Megabit Publishing's team merged with nDreams' publishing department (also Aonic). Why did this happen?
Jonathan Hales: "Again, it's all about alignment and ensuring we're maximising all our knowledge, skills, and ambition. Each team was made up of truly talented individuals, and collectively we now have a world-leading publishing team with experience across all platforms, including VR."
Megabit is the publishing arm of global gaming group Aonic, created to support its 1st and 3rd party studio partners. Megabit titles currently in development include Thick As Thieves from Warren Spector's OtherSide Entertainment, Hello Sunshine from Red Thread Games, Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults from BKOM Studios, cozy open world adventure Lou's Lagoon from Tiny Roar, and more.
Thick As Thieves is a PvPvE multiplayer stealth game set in a 1910s metropolis brimming with magic and intrigue. Players must hide, sneak and steal their way through the ranks, pitting their wits against rival thieves in an immersive living world of stories and shadows. The game is developed by Warren Spector's OtherSide Entertainment. © OtherSide Entertainment / Megabit Publishing
GamesMarkt: How do you see the gaming publishing market in general in 2026? What challenges are there, especially in the indie and AA sectors, in which Megabit operates?
Jonathan Hales: "The market is competitive and to some degree saturated with an array of brilliant games, all shouting for a share of voice. Player choice is paramount, but discoverability is challenging due to the number of games being released each year and I see 2026 being no different.
Among the games that do find an audience, what predominantly shines through is exceptional quality coupled with a distinctive uniqueness. For smaller developers and publishers like ourselves, this has to be the aim."
GamesMarkt: How do you think Megabit Publishing is positioned for 2026? Does the variety of games on offer matter in this regard?
Jonathan Hales: "We're extremely excited for 2026 and beyond, and the variety in our pipeline is certainly a big part of this. Between Lou's Lagoon, Hello Sunshine, Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults, OMUT, Thick as Thieves and the recently-revealed Verdant, there's something for every gamer."
Hello Sunshine is a survival mystery set in the ruins of a former corporate empire. Players must walk in the shadow of a giant robot during the sweltering days and stay close to it to keep warm at night. They must scavenge, craft and upgrade, while piecing together the broken puzzle of a world ruled by machines that refuse to shut down. The game is being developed by Red Thread Games (creators of Dreamfall Chapters, Draugen and Dustborn) in Norway. © Red Thread Games / Megabit Publishing
GamesMarkt: Megabit Publishing publishes games from the Aonic Group and for third-party partners. Why should third-party partners consider Megabit Publishing?
Jonathan Hales: "We're interested in building strong alignment with a few great development teams, rather than gathering and publishing games from as many devs as possible. But for titles that we all believe in, we are actively looking to create partnerships with developers in which we can offer world-class publishing.
Having worked with third-party developers for many years, I understand just how important it is to offer the correct level of support, encouragement, guidance (where necessary) and resources to ensure success – and most importantly, a feeling of togetherness."
In Lou's Lagoon, players must search for Uncle Lou and take over his seaplane delivery service in the Limbo Archipelago. Players can explore the islands, harvest resources and hone their crafting skills in order to complete jobs and expand their business. This open-world adventure game is being developed by TinyRoar in Hamburg. © TinyRoar / Metabit / rokaplay
