Skybound CEO hints at triple-A Invincible game in development

Invincible is coming to a triple-A video game near you

Skybound

During Gamescom LATAM in Sao Paulo, we got the chance to sit down with Skybound CEO David Alpert and co-founder Jon Goldman, who were both more than happy to talk about the company’s video game plans, from its in-house studio to its licensing deals. 

Skybound has been making huge waves in the TV space with The Walking Dead, its spin-offs, and another Robert Kirkman comic adaptation, Invincible, which follows the story of a super-powered teen betrayed by their all-powerful father. Despite losing grace with the critics as the story dragged on, The Walking Dead is still one of the most popular shows on Netflix – bringing in enough viewers to warrant multiple concurrent spin-offs. 

It’s a success the company so far hasn’t replicated in the video game space, despite releasing some critically acclaimed tie-ins such as The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. 

Having one of the best VR games ever made in the library doesn’t hurt, of course, but VR is still a relatively niche audience, so I wanted to know if the studio has plans to tap into the triple-A video games market with a more traditional title. And does the studio have any plans to do something big with Invincible? 

“There are leaks out there that we could be working on a big game,” Jon Goldman teases. “We're hiring people from the video game industry. So keep watching and supporting the IP [Invincible], you will be rewarded.” 

“There’s been a lot of tremendous video game talent joining Skybound recently to work on a really cool project,” David Alpert adds. 

Skybound has been on an executive recruitment drive, hiring former Activision Blizzard VP of marketing Kaleb Ruel to head up marketing efforts for its in-house studio, along with Activision Blizzard's former VP of product Chris Paulson and EA's former head of corporate Jeff Chaiken. 

It’s been long argued that creating a Superman game would be difficult due to the character’s ability to shrug off damage. Invincible, as his name suggests, could face similar issues. When I ask about these potential design problems, Goldman smiles and says, “I mean, if only there were a race of super-strong people that Mark struggles to fight…” 

Skybound recently released a fun little visual novel set in the same universe, Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, but this sounds like it'll be much more ambitious. An Invincible triple-A game hasn’t been officially announced as of yet, but this is as close to a confirmation as we’re going to get.