Double Fine Revives Amnesia Fortnight With New Kickstarter After Xbox Exit
The newly independent studio is launching a live game jam starting August 31, with backers choosing which prototype becomes a real game. Tim Schafer confirms Double Fine has reclaimed publishing rights to all of its titles.
A Fresh Start, Small Games First
Double Fine has been independent for only a matter of weeks and it is already back on Kickstarter. The studio, best known for the Psychonauts series, recently regained its independence after Xbox announced a major reset that saw it cut ties with several of its studios. Rather than take a breath and regroup quietly, Tim Schafer and company announced a return to one of their most beloved traditions: Amnesia Fortnight.
For anyone unfamiliar, Amnesia Fortnight is a structured game jam where the whole studio drops its current work, breaks into small teams, and builds short, weird, experimental projects. It has happened before, and in the past it produced genuine surprises. The 2026 edition, which Double Fine is calling the “Indie Reboot,” kicks off on August 31 and runs through September. The whole thing will be live on the internet, with Kickstarter backers voting on which ideas move into full prototype development. Four prototypes get made, and then backers pick one to become a real, small, finished game. 2 Player Productions, which has documented previous Amnesia Fortnight events, is back to film the whole process.
Schafer Confirms the Studio Gets Its Games Back
The Kickstarter launch comes alongside some genuinely meaningful news about the studio’s ownership situation. In remarks to Kinda Funny Games, as reported by IGN, Schafer confirmed that Double Fine has reclaimed its intellectual property and the publishing rights to all of its games after departing Xbox Game Studios.
“The transfer of the IP came back to us, and we get the publishing rights back to all our games,” Schafer said. He acknowledged the process takes time to fully work through, but added that purchases of Double Fine games now support the studio directly.
That is no small thing. The studio’s catalog includes Broken Age, Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Stacking, and others. Before the Xbox acquisition closed in 2019, Double Fine had already built a close relationship with Kickstarter, famously raising over three million dollars for Broken Age back in 2012 in what was one of the earliest high-profile crowdfunding campaigns in games. Returning to that model now feels less like nostalgia and more like a considered choice about how to stay sustainable while working at a smaller scale.
What This Means for the Back Catalog on Nintendo Platforms
Double Fine has had a modest but real presence on Nintendo Switch. Broken Age, Grim Fandango Remastered, and RAD all made it to the platform before the Xbox acquisition. Under Xbox Game Studios, the studio shipped Psychonauts 2, Keeper, and most recently Kiln, none of which came to Switch.
Now that publishing rights are returning to the studio, the question of whether titles like Psychonauts 2 could eventually reach Nintendo hardware is a reasonable one, though nothing has been announced. The comment sections on Nintendo-focused outlets are already buzzing with wishful thinking on that front, which is understandable given how well the original Psychonauts and its sequel have been received.
For now, the studio is focused on what is in front of it. The Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter is live for those who want to follow along or back it, with notifications available for people who want updates as the campaign develops. The game jam itself starts at the end of the month, and the documentary from 2 Player Productions will capture whatever strange, small ideas Double Fine’s teams cook up during what amounts to one of the more unusual creative structures in the industry.
Schafer’s studio spent seven years inside one of the largest game publishers on the planet. Going back to a Kickstarter-funded jam with backers voting on prototypes is a striking pivot, but it also just sounds like Double Fine being Double Fine.
What is Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight?
Amnesia Fortnight is a recurring internal game jam at Double Fine where the studio splits into small teams, pauses its main projects, and builds short experimental prototypes. The process has previously been documented by 2 Player Productions.
When does the 2026 Amnesia Fortnight game jam start?
According to the Kickstarter campaign, the live game jam begins on August 31, 2026 and runs through September 2026.
Does Double Fine own its games after leaving Xbox?
Yes. Tim Schafer confirmed to Kinda Funny Games, as reported by IGN, that the studio has secured its IP and the publishing rights to all of its games, though he noted some of the transfer process may take time to fully complete.
Which Double Fine games have appeared on Nintendo Switch?
Double Fine previously released Broken Age, Grim Fandango Remastered, and RAD on the Switch. Under Xbox Game Studios, the studio released Psychonauts 2, Keeper, and most recently Kiln.