Fatshark

About Fatshark

Fatshark AB is a Swedish video game development studio headquartered in Stockholm, established in 2008. The company was founded by Martin Wahlund, Joakim Wahlund, Rikard Blomberg, and brothers Johan and Robert Bäckström, who brought together their collective experience from another Swedish gaming company, GRIN. This background in the gaming industry provided a solid foundation for their new venture. In a significant strategic move, Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent acquired a majority stake in Fatshark in January 2021, following an initial minority investment in 2019, to support the studio's future projects.

Fatshark operates within the PC and console gaming market, focusing on developing and publishing its own titles. The company's business model is centered on the direct sale of its games through digital distribution platforms like Steam for PC, as well as the respective online stores for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Revenue is generated not only from the initial game purchase but also through the sale of downloadable content (DLC), which includes new missions, characters, and cosmetic items, thereby extending the lifecycle and monetization of their core products.

The studio has carved out a distinct niche by creating cooperative multiplayer games that emphasize teamwork and challenging group experiences. Its portfolio includes titles like "Lead and Gold," "Krater," and "Bloodsports.tv." However, Fatshark is most recognized for its games set in the Warhammer universe. "Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide" and its sequel, "Warhammer: Vermintide 2," are first-person co-op games where a team of four players battles against hordes of Skaven rat-men and Chaos warriors. These titles are praised for their intense, visceral combat and strong cooperative gameplay loops. Building on this success, the company released "Warhammer 40,000: Darktide" in 2022, a similar co-op formula set in the futuristic, dystopian world of Warhammer 40,000, where players fight against heretical cultists.