This newsletter shares the good news of the Finnish game industry once a month. The content is intended to be a comprehensive news overview for both individual newsletter subscribers and international journalists interested in games.
In June, Finnish game companies brought several major new releases and updates to the market. Supercell introduced a SEGA collaboration in Squad Busters and released a new evolution card in Clash Royale. Remedy launched a new co-op game set in the Control universe, and Nitro Games expanded its Autogun Heroes brand. Fingersoft brought the LEGO Hill Climb Adventures+ game to Apple Arcade, and Cornfox & Bros released a new Oceanhorn adventure. Redbeak Games unveiled its upcoming game Roguebound Pirates with solo developer Tuomas Auronen emphasizing the freedom and challenges of solo development.
1. New game launches and updates in June 2025
- Supercell announced that Sonic the Hedgehog and other iconic characters from the high-speed SEGA franchise have landed in Squad Busters. Running in-game until 7th July, the major franchise crossover will also see Tails and Knuckles bringing their signature abilities and personalities to battles.
- Sky Trail has added the space game Sea of Tranquility to the Steam marketplace for pre-order. In this sci-fi adventure set on the Moon, players explore an open world using a lunar rover.
- Fingersoft’s driving game LEGO Hill Climb Adventures+ has been released in the Apple Arcade catalog. The game combines iconic LEGO worlds with the wild physics of Hill Climb Racing.
- Remedy Entertainment released a three-player co-op shooter called FBC: Firebreak, set in the mysterious world of the game Control.
- Nitro Games released Autogun Heroes: Supercharged on PC. The fast-paced action game continues the story of the popular mobile game and offers new content for both fans and new players.
- Rovio came out with a new episode in Angry Birds Reloaded. Players can dive into 45 new levels, dress up their birds with fresh costumes, and even step into the trotters of the piggies in the returning Egg Hunt event.
- Cornfox & Bros launched a new Oceanhorn adventure on PC, iOS and Android. Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is an action-packed dungeon crawler, bringing a fresh new approach to the franchise and expands on the award-winning formula with couch coop support for up to 4 players!
2. Nitro Games announced new progress on Autogun Heroes brand
Nitro Games has released several updates regarding the development of the Autogun Heroes brand. The new PC game Autogun Heroes: Supercharged was featured at the Steam Next Fest event with a new demo, and the full game was released on June 18. Nitro has also regained publishing responsibility for the Autogun Heroes mobile game following the end of its agreement with Supersonic from Unity. The browser version of the game is still playable on the game’s official website. Additionally, Nitro has launched a new merchandise store and is developing a new game set in the Autogun Heroes universe aimed at a broader audience.
3. Roguebound Pirates sets sail as Redbeak Games’ boldest solo adventure yet
Redbeak Games has just revealed the first trailer for Roguebound Pirates that has been in development since September 2024. Roguebound Pirates is an adventure roguelike with deep ship customization. The player will plunder ships, search for lost treasures and create game-breaking builds to take their place as master of the seas. Roguebound Pirates is slated for release during the first quarter of 2026.
We asked some questions from the solo developer Tuomas Auronen. We asked what is the most challenging and rewarding being a solo developer. He told that Roguebound Pirates is his 4th game as a solo developer so he is very used to working by himself. On a practical level it makes many things simpler, and you save time on communication and management. He likes that he always has an accurate and up-to-date understanding of the game, both on the top level and on the detail level. Having full ownership over the design and not having to make as many compromises with the vision of the game is also a great perk.
But of course, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. The obvious downside of working by yourself is the lack of resources. There is so much to do, and you need to do everything yourself or have enough money to outsource it (in which case you still need to spend time managing the outsourcing). Knowing where to focus your time is essential. Working solo also likely means your design choices aren’t quite as refined as they could be since you are missing the immediate feedback and discussion that you would naturally get from within the team. Overall, working as part of a good team would probably be the most optimal way of working. But working solo is a very practical option.
Upcoming game looks quite different from the earlier work. Why this change? Doing similar things gets boring fast so with every new project Tuomas tries to find a good balance between new things that excites him and the business goals for that project. This felt like a great project with both in mind. It’s his first 3D project ever so there are a lot of new things to explore and learn about. As someone with limited artistic talent, it also feels like achieving a marketable product is easier with 3D. Giant axes and other over-the-top weapons just hit different with three dimensions.