For a considerable number of gamers, including yours truly, Acclaim Entertainment is likely to elicit some nostalgia. As a child, Acclaim’s iconic logo was on the box of many of my favorite games, including Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and the Turok: Dinosaur Hunter franchise. Last week, Engadget quietly ported the relaunch of Acclaim, including news that they will unveil their 2026 lineup in a showcase happening on their YouTube channel today at 2:30 PM EST!
Acclaim’s new lineup will presumably feature some new IP, as licenses and ownership of most properties have been shuffled around in the last 20 years like its noble but futile incarnation with Valiant Comics (recently relaunched by Alien Publishing). Learn of Acclaim’s history of fumbled bags below, courtesy of The Escapist. One time they tried to get people to name their kid Turok in exchange for $10,000!
In the first half of the 1990s, Acclaim was one of the premier publishers of video games, producing versions of successful arcade games for home consoles with great success, and transforming licensed games into console best-sellers. By 1994, their ambition was to create a multimedia empire leveraging Valiant’s comic universe with titles like Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Shadow Man, but when the comic book bubble burst, they had difficulties turning a profit. Eventually, ongoing layoffs and restructures culminated in Acclaim filing for bankruptcy in 2004.
More than two decades later, a new version of Acclaim wants to refocus their efforts on the indie space, platforming independent developers by providing them with funding, marketing and PR support. According to the article, the upcoming Play Acclaim showcase will touch on revitalizing its “legacy portfolio of classic IP”, but its worth nothing that Mortal Kombat, Double Dragon, NBA Jam, Valiant Comics, and properties like Re-Volt, are all under new ownership.
The new Acclaim is technically a relaunch in name only, but more representation for independent studios is always welcome in the space. Spearheading the relaunch are some money guys (natch), WWE icon Jeff Jarrett (huh?), and Alex Josef serving as CEO. Josef is best known for his tenure as CEO at indie studio Graffiti Games, during which time the studio released Elderand, the Turnip Boy games and Blue Fire.
The return of Acclaim Entertainment is a welcome sight for nostalgic gamers, and their new focus on championing independent developers is a positive move for the industry. While the name may be the main thing connecting it to the past, today’s “Play Acclaim” showcase will reveal if they can build a new legacy.
Source: Engadget, Hardcore Gamer
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