Don't Nod
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFrench video game developer and publisher recognized for narrative-focused, character-driven games.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Don't Nod is a French video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris. Founded in 2008 by a group of developers and creative professionals with backgrounds at studios including Criterion Games, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, the company built its identity around original intellectual property, story-led design and games that combine exploration, character relationships and consequential choices. Its name, originally styled as Dontnod, was devised as a palindrome by writer Alain Damasio. The company began work on Remember Me, initially conceived as a PlayStation 3 role-playing game. After Sony Interactive Entertainment withdrew from the project in 2011, the team presented it to other publishers, eventually reaching an agreement with Capcom. The game was reshaped as an action-adventure title and released in 2013. Although it gave the young studio an international debut, its commercial return was insufficient relative to its development investment. Don't Nod subsequently entered French judicial reorganisation proceedings in January 2014. The company described the process as a restructuring intended to resize and stabilise the business rather than a conventional bankruptcy, and the proceeding concluded in 2018. Don't Nod's major breakthrough came with Life Is Strange, developed with Square Enix Europe and released episodically in 2015. The game used an episodic format, a contemporary setting and a time-reversal mechanic to explore friendship, identity, grief and difficult moral decisions. Its critical and commercial success substantially raised the studio's profile and changed its relationship with publishers. Rather than pursuing large-scale triple-A production, Don't Nod increasingly positioned itself around independent, original and narrative-driven projects. This approach was followed by Vampyr, an action role-playing game published by Focus Home Interactive in 2018, and by further collaborations and self-owned projects. The company became publicly traded in 2018, raising funds intended to support additional projects, production improvements and partnerships. It also expanded its studio structure, including the integration of Dontnod Eleven and the creation of a Montreal subsidiary in Canada. In the following years it worked with external partners on titles such as Life Is Strange 2, Tell Me Why and Twin Mirror, while also developing its own publishing capabilities. Tencent acquired a minority stake in 2021, providing capital and a potential route into Chinese and mobile markets. In 2022, the company adopted the stylised name Don't Nod and formally broadened its role from developer to publisher. Its publishing catalogue began with Gerda: A Flame in Winter, followed by projects from independent studios such as Koira. Internally developed releases included Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The company also announced Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, created by the Montreal team and involving members of the original Life Is Strange development group. Don't Nod's business remains centred on original intellectual property, co-development, publishing partnerships and selective self-publishing. Its recent performance has been pressured by releases that did not meet internal sales expectations, including Jusant, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. In response, management has discussed widening the commercial appeal of future projects, controlling production costs and seeking additional financing. The brand nevertheless continues to be associated with emotionally detailed storytelling, distinctive settings and games built around player choice rather than conventional blockbuster scale.
History
Don't Nod was established in France in 2008 by Hervé Bonin, Aleksi Briclot, Alain Damasio, Oskar Guilbert and Jean-Maxime Moris, alongside personnel with experience at major international game companies. The founders selected the name Dontnod, a palindrome created by Damasio. Early financial support included private investment and public assistance. The studio also received recognition and funding from the French Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, including support connected with its early projects. Its first major production was Remember Me. The project began as a PlayStation 3 role-playing game, but Sony withdrew as publisher in 2011 after funding reductions. The team displayed the project publicly to attract a new partner, and Capcom Europe later acquired the rights. Capcom and Don't Nod transformed the concept into an action-adventure game, which was released in June 2013. The title established the studio technically and creatively, but its commercial performance did not justify the investment. In January 2014, Don't Nod filed for judicial reorganisation in France. The company distinguished this process from bankruptcy, describing it as a restructuring measure, and the proceeding was completed in February 2018. While restructuring, the studio developed the project initially known as What If?, which became Life Is Strange. In 2014, Don't Nod announced its collaboration with Square Enix Europe, and the game was released episodically during 2015. Its time-reversal mechanic and focus on relationships, adolescence and moral consequence made it a notable narrative adventure. The game's success brought the company new publisher interest and enabled it to move away from its earlier ambition of producing conventional triple-A games. The studio instead emphasised smaller-scale original properties and a production philosophy built around narrative, art direction and design working together from the start. Don't Nod next pursued projects with different genres and partners. Vampyr, announced in 2015 and published by Focus Home Interactive in 2018, combined action role-playing with a morally complex story about a doctor transformed into a vampire. The company also developed Life Is Strange 2, released in episodes from 2018 through 2019. In 2016 it entered a partnership involving the Parisian studio Hesaw, which became Dontnod Eleven; the subsidiary was later acquired and integrated into Don't Nod's operations. The company became publicly listed in 2018 after an offering on Euronext Growth Paris. The financing was intended to support new intellectual property, production infrastructure and additional studio or publishing relationships. Don't Nod subsequently announced a Montreal subsidiary in 2020, extending its development presence beyond France. It worked with Xbox Game Studios on Tell Me Why, released episodically in 2020, and released Twin Mirror later that year. Twin Mirror was developed with Shibuya Productions and represented a further move toward self-owned intellectual property, although its original publishing arrangements involved Bandai Namco Entertainment. Tencent took a minority position in Don't Nod in 2021. The investment was presented as a way to strengthen self-publishing and support expansion toward China and mobile games. The company also began preparing a third-party publishing operation, with projects from external independent studios. In 2021 it made its fully remote work scheme permanent, reflecting organisational changes that had accelerated during the period of widespread remote work. The 2022 rebranding to Don't Nod marked a broader corporate identity. The company released Gerda: A Flame in Winter as its first third-party publishing title and continued to develop internally owned projects. Harmony: The Fall of Reverie arrived in 2023, followed by Jusant, a climbing and exploration puzzle game. Don't Nod and Focus Entertainment also released Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden in 2024, a supernatural action role-playing title that followed some of the thematic and structural interests of Vampyr. Don't Nod Montreal led development of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, announced in 2023. The project involved members of the original Life Is Strange team and was designed as the beginning of a new narrative universe. It was released in two parts in 2025. The company continued third-party publishing with projects including Koira and announced additional development and publishing initiatives, including Aphelion and a planned narrative game based on a major Netflix intellectual property. Recent years have also brought financial and organisational pressure. Don't Nod reported that Jusant and Banishers had fallen below sales expectations and subsequently said that future games would be adjusted to reach wider audiences. The company faced a strike connected with a redundancy plan in 2025, followed by an agreement with the relevant union. Later reporting indicated that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage also missed expectations, while the company pursued cost controls and additional financing. These developments have placed greater emphasis on disciplined production, diversified publishing and the commercial performance of each new intellectual property.
- 2022
Company rebranded as Don't Nod
[1]The corporate brand adopted the stylised Don't Nod name.
- 2022
Third-party publishing begins
[1]Gerda: A Flame in Winter became the first release from the company's external publishing initiative.
- 2021
Tencent takes a minority stake
[1]Tencent invested in Don't Nod to support self-publishing and international expansion.
- 2020
Montreal subsidiary announced
[1]Don't Nod announced a Canadian development studio to expand its creative and production capacity.
- 2018
Public listing completed
[1]The company began trading on Euronext Growth Paris after raising capital for future development and expansion.
- 2018
Vampyr released
[1]Focus Home Interactive published the company's action role-playing game about a doctor turned vampire.
- 2015
Life Is Strange released
[1]The five-part episodic adventure became the studio's international breakthrough.
- 2014
Judicial reorganisation begins
[1]Don't Nod entered a French judicial reorganisation process after the weak return from Remember Me.
- 2013
Remember Me released
[1]The company's debut game was released by Capcom as an action-adventure title.
- 2008
Studio founded
[1]Dontnod Entertainment was founded in France by Hervé Bonin, Aleksi Briclot, Alain Damasio, Oskar Guilbert and Jean-Maxime Moris.
Products and positioning
A creator and publisher of original, story-rich games that emphasise character development, atmosphere, exploration and meaningful player choices.
Action-adventure game · 2013
Remember Me
Don't Nod's debut commercial title, published by Capcom in 2013. It is set in a futuristic version of Neo-Paris and follows Nilin, a memory hunter whose own memories have been erased. The project began as a PlayStation 3 role-playing game before being reworked into an action-adventure production. Its development difficulties and limited commercial return contributed to the financial restructuring that followed.
Episodic narrative adventure · 2015
Life Is Strange
A five-episode narrative adventure developed with Square Enix Europe and released in 2015. Players control Max Caulfield, a student who discovers the ability to rewind time while investigating events in the town of Arcadia Bay. The game is built around dialogue, exploration, relationships and choices whose consequences develop across the episodes. It established Don't Nod as a prominent creator of emotionally focused, choice-driven games.
Action role-playing game · 2018
Vampyr
An action role-playing game published by Focus Home Interactive in 2018. Set in London during the 1918 influenza pandemic, it follows doctor Jonathan Reid after he becomes a vampire. The game combines investigation, combat and social interaction: characters can be questioned, treated or killed, and those choices affect the surrounding communities. Its design reflects Don't Nod's interest in moral ambiguity and narrative consequence.
Episodic narrative adventure · 2018
Life Is Strange 2
A five-episode narrative adventure released from 2018 to 2019. It follows brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz as they travel through the United States after a traumatic event. The game focuses on family responsibility, migration, prejudice, social institutions and the influence of player decisions on Daniel's development. It shares the broader Life Is Strange identity while introducing a new cast and road-based structure.
Episodic adventure game · 2020
Tell Me Why
An episodic adventure developed by Don't Nod for Xbox Game Studios and released in 2020. The story follows twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan as they return to their Alaskan hometown and revisit memories of their childhood. Its central themes include family history, trauma, identity and reconciliation. Tyler is a transgender protagonist, making representation a significant part of the game's public identity.
Narrative adventure game · 2020
Twin Mirror
A narrative adventure developed with Shibuya Productions and released in 2020. The player follows investigative journalist Sam Higgs as he returns to his hometown and uses a heightened analytical inner world to reconstruct events. The project was initially associated with Bandai Namco Entertainment before its eventual release. It continued Don't Nod's exploration of memory, investigation and psychological storytelling.
Visual novel and narrative adventure · 2023
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie
A 2023 narrative game combining visual-novel structures with a branching decision system. It presents two connected realms and asks players to guide the protagonist through choices represented on a visual map. The title emphasises consequence management, relationships and multiple possible story paths rather than conventional action mechanics.
Puzzle and exploration game · 2023
Jusant
A 2023 puzzle and climbing game in which players ascend the remains of a desiccated world. Its design combines traversal, environmental observation, tool-based climbing and a quiet narrative conveyed through spaces and discoveries. Jusant represented a more compact and contemplative direction for Don't Nod, but the company later reported that its sales did not meet internal expectations.
Action role-playing game · 2024
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
A supernatural action role-playing game developed by Don't Nod and published by Focus Entertainment in 2024. Set in a North American frontier community, it follows two ghost hunters whose personal relationship is tested after one of them dies and becomes a spirit. The game uses investigation, combat and difficult ethical decisions to explore grief, duty and the consequences of trying to reverse death.
Narrative adventure game · 2025
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
A narrative adventure developed by Don't Nod Montreal and released in two parts in 2025. The story links a group of friends across two time periods and uses memory, friendship and the passage of time as central themes. Members of the original Life Is Strange team contributed to the project, which was intended to establish a distinct story universe for Don't Nod.
Brand decisions
2024
Rework future releases for broader appealStrategyBackground
Don't Nod reported that Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden had not achieved expected sales levels.
Action taken
Management said it would reconsider future releases and seek a wider commercial audience while controlling production costs.
Aftermath
The company subsequently faced further pressure after Lost Records: Bloom & Rage also failed to meet sales expectations.
2022
Expand into third-party publishingStrategyBackground
The company sought to diversify beyond internally developed games and make greater use of its publishing and commercial capabilities.
Action taken
Don't Nod launched an external publishing initiative, beginning with Gerda: A Flame in Winter.
Aftermath
The publishing catalogue later included projects from independent studios such as Studio Tolima and Tiny Bull Studios.
2021
Accept Tencent minority investmentM&ABackground
Don't Nod wanted to strengthen its self-publishing capacity and create opportunities in China and mobile games.
Action taken
Tencent acquired a minority stake and received the option to appoint a board member.
Aftermath
The investment gave Don't Nod additional strategic and financial support while leaving the company focused on original intellectual property and publishing expansion.
Investment. €30 million (2021)
2018
Raise capital through a public offeringStrategyBackground
After the success of Life Is Strange and the completion of its restructuring, Don't Nod sought additional resources for new projects, production improvements and expansion.
Action taken
The company listed on Euronext Growth Paris and used the offering to finance development, partnerships and operational improvements.
Aftermath
The listing supported further studio expansion, including the integration of Dontnod Eleven and later development activity in Montreal.
Capital raised. €20.1 million intended raise (2018)
Recent events
Reported
DONTNOD unveils Gerda: A Flame in Winter[2]
DONTNOD unveiled Gerda: A Flame in Winter, a narrative game developed by PortaPlay as a co-production. The game is planned for release in 2022 on Nintendo Switch and PC.
Reported
Tell Me Why wins two Pégases awards[3]
DONTNOD Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios announced that Tell Me Why won the Best Message-Bearer Game and Best Narrative Design awards at the Pégases 2021 ceremony, held on March 17.
Sources3 sources
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