Vampire Survivors Creator Luca Galante Expands Into Publishing With Poncle Presents

The success of Vampire Survivors has pushed Luca Galante, also known as Poncle, to broaden his vision beyond development and into publishing. With the creation of Poncle Presents, Galante has set out to use the momentum of his hit roguelike to provide meaningful opportunities to indie developers. Unlike many publishers in the industry, Poncle Presents is focused less on profit-driven exploitation and more on cultivating genuine games and fair treatment of creators.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Galante spoke candidly about his approach to publishing and the ways he sees the industry falling short.

"I see a lot of publishers I don't like," Galante explained. "I see a lot of publishers that try to exploit the platforms just to make money, basically, because the video game industry is very obviously an industry that makes a lot of money. There is a lot of money to make. I see that these publishers will try and just exploit platforms for money. Put out games that are incomplete or in early access that actually never get completed, games that are put out there and left to die, basically. Does not make money, left in a broken state, and so on." — Luca Galante

His philosophy is to shift the focus back to the fundamentals of making good games, ensuring that developers are supported even after launch. According to Galante, this is a responsibility that publishers often ignore.

"So my point of view for what a publisher should do is, first of all, make genuine games, genuine products, something that has some real value, and then understand that not everything can be a breakout hit. For me, it's very important that we keep supporting games post-launch, regardless of how the game would go, just because once you put the game out there, you have an audience, and as big or small as it is that audience deserves to be treated fairly." — Luca Galante

Poncle Presents has already published two small-scale indie titles: Kill the Brickman by Doonutsaur, a $5 roguelike brick breaker, and Berserk or Die by Nao Games, a $4 2D action game known for its chaotic controls. While neither project has reached the viral heights of Vampire Survivors, Galante stresses that breakout success is not the only metric worth chasing. The goal, instead, is to empower small teams that show passion and a commitment to engaging their communities.

Galante has expressed his admiration for compact and affordable projects, describing his preference as a kind of “price-to-gameplay ratio.” This doesn’t exclude larger ambitions, but Poncle Presents is committed to scouting games built by small, passionate groups. Transparency, community engagement, and a genuine love for making games are the key traits Galante looks for when considering new projects.

He also warns against the pitfalls of publisher interference, which can derail a developer’s creative vision.

"To try and let the developer realize their vision by enriching their vision in a way, and not by trying to force a developer's vision in a direction so that the game can make more money," Galante said.

He added that publisher-driven demands for microtransactions and seasonal models often harm both developers and players, which is why Poncle Presents will avoid those practices.

Poncle’s move into publishing also aligns with similar shifts in the indie scene, such as Outersloth, backed by Among Us, and Pocketpair Publishing, driven by Palworld’s success. Galante confirmed that Poncle has spoken with these groups, recognizing that while their scales differ, they share the same core idea of funding and empowering indie projects with the resources made possible by breakout hits.

The motivation behind Poncle Presents is not only practical but also personal.

"Basically, we got very lucky with Vampire Survivors," Galante said. "The game has been so successful that – we definitely made some mistakes when it comes to putting the game out there, but we learned a lot, and wanted to try to sort of share what we learned with other indies. It was a way to try and give something back to the indie community, share the luck."

With Vampire Survivors still maintaining strong community engagement and continued updates, Poncle Presents now gives Galante and his team a broader way to impact the indie game landscape. The studio hopes that by prioritizing passion, transparency, and long-term support, they can help developers bring authentic and sustainable projects to life, rather than leaving them abandoned for the sake of fast profits.

Have you known? Vampire Survivors is also getting its own official lore book titled The Grimoire. Published by Titan Books, the hardcover will release on October 21, 2025, for $30. Preorders are already live, giving fans the chance to dive deeper into the game’s world, characters, and locations.