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The Acclaim publishing brand has been revived

The Acclaim name has once again been reactivated as new handlers of the brand put an emphasis on supporting indie content and original IPs.

TJ Denzer

March 4, 2025 7:07 AM

Image via Acclaim Entertainment

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The Acclaim publishing brand has been on a bumpy ride through the decades, but it looks like it’s coming back again. The name that helped bring titles such as the Turok, Mortal Kombat, and NBA Jam series and countless more to home consoles has been brought back into activity after it went defunct in 2010, and it’s being led by a new advisory board that includes pro wrestling and entertainment star Jeff Jarrett and will be directed by former Graffiti Games lead Alex Josef, who will act as CEO to the new publisher.

The group behind the Acclaim revival shared news of the brand’s return this week in a press release. The group is returning with an emphasis on supporting indie studios and cultivating original IP, as shared by Josef:

Josef is perhaps best known for his work at Graffiti Games as its CEO, which published games like Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and The King’s Bird under his direction. Jeff Jarrett is a notable member of the advisory board overseeing Acclaim’s operations, but other members of the board include Russell Binder at Striker Entertainment and Mark Caplan at Ridge Partners, as well as partners like VaynerFund’s Phil Toronto and JET Management’s Eric Vogel.

The Acclaim brand has been up and down through the years. Originally started in 1987, Acclaim rose to prominence publishing home ports of popular arcade games like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat. It also won big on publishing a number of high-profile titles like Turok. Its original incarnation went defunct after bankruptcy in 2004. It was revived in 2006 as Acclaim Games, but would change ownership and eventually be closed again in 2010. Nonetheless, the name has had quite the hefty impact in our industry, which you can learn more about in its Shacknews Hall of Fame 2021 entry.

With another revival, this time focusing on indie studios and original content, it will be interesting to see if the Acclaim name sticks around this time. Watch the Acclaim topic for future news and coverage on the group.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on BlueSky @JohnnyChugs.