Gambit Digital, a new independent publishing company, will be overseen by a former vice president from Kepler Interactive

Zac Antonaci, formerly VP of publishing and marketing at Kepler Interactive, has taken the helm of Montreal's new independent publisher, Gambit Digital.

Antonaci departed from Kepler in February after approximately three and a half years with the London-based company, which achieved success with titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Rematch.

Before his stint at Kepler, Antonaci held the position of director of publishing at Frontier Developments in Cambridge, UK, known for producing Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution.

Gambit Digital is affiliated with Indie Asylum, a Montreal-based collective including over 200 developers from 18 studios. The studio will support the publication of various games developed by this group.

The leadership at Gambit Digital comprises experienced industry figures and studio leaders. Chad Young, named as the commercial director, previously served as senior director of publishing at Frontier. Kevin Chancey is the publishing director while also holding the position of general manager at the marketing agency Purple is Royal.

The company's chief operating officer, Chris Chancey, leads ManaVoid Entertainment as its president, the studio behind the role-playing game Rainbow Billy: The Curse of The Leviathan and the newly released Roots of Yggdrasil.

Kim Berthiaume, Gambit’s chief commercial officer, acts as an interactive creative director at ManaVoid. Pascal Nataf, the chief strategy officer, co-founded Affordance Studio, a past finalist in the Canadian Best Places to Work Awards, introducing connections with Purple is Royal.

Chris Chancey highlighted the strong collaboration between the publisher and the independent studios it assists, expressing, "Gambit Digital exists to tilt the playing field in favor of developers."

"We’re builders ourselves. We know what it means to take risks, to scale up, and to find the right partners. Gambit is here to give studios the choice, flexibility, and firepower to succeed – without losing sight of why we make games in the first place."

With an emphasis on tailored services, Gambit Digital offers various options to meet the needs of indie game developers, such as shadow publishing, where they operate behind the scenes, allowing studios to retain publishing rights.

The company also provides more conventional investment and publishing services along with console porting through its internal team. Additionally, Gambit supports 'post-launch growth', enhancing sales by tapping into new markets and exploring fresh commercial prospects.

Zac Antonaci noted, "Publishing today has to be more than a transaction – it has to be a long-term partnership."

"At Gambit Digital, we’re focused on helping and working hand in hand with developers not just to launch their games, but to build sustainable long-term momentum. Our mission is to expand possibilities and give studios the tools and opportunities to thrive in an ever-changing global market."