Double Fine Confirms It Owns IP and Publishing Rights for All Its Games
Tim Schafer says the studio has reclaimed its full catalog following the Xbox split, and buying any Double Fine game now directly supports the studio.
The Rights Are Back Where They Started
Double Fine Productions CEO Tim Schafer confirmed this week that the studio has reclaimed the IP and publishing rights to all of its games released under Microsoft, following the Psychonauts developer’s split from Xbox. Speaking on Kinda Funny Games on August 21, Schafer addressed fan questions about how to support the newly independent studio and was direct about what that support actually means.
“The transfer of the IP came back to us, and we get the publishing rights back to all our games,” Schafer said, according to the interview. “When people buy our games, it supports the studio.”
He did flag one small asterisk. Some storefronts may still list Microsoft as the owner on certain titles, but Schafer was not worried about it. “It just takes a while for it to all process,” he said. The paperwork is moving; the outcome is not in doubt.
The practical message for fans was clear. “If you’re curious, buying any of our games helps support the studio,” Schafer repeated. “We can turn that money into revenue that helps us extend that runway.”
What That Runway Actually Looks Like
The word “runway” came up more than once during Schafer’s conversation with Kinda Funny Games, and for good reason. When Xbox listed Double Fine and South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games as part of a sweeping restructuring plan roughly a month ago, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma promised both studios would keep their IP, their catalogs, and a runway for their next projects. That restructuring also laid the groundwork for 3,200 layoffs across Xbox teams, so the situation at the time was genuinely turbulent.
Double Fine’s split was almost immediately followed by internal layoffs cutting 25 percent of its staff. The studio is smaller now, and the path forward is not fully drawn. Schafer acknowledged that “there are other projects we’re working on,” but offered no specifics on what those look like.
Having full control of titles like Psychonauts 2, Brutal Legend, Keeper, and its 2026 pottery-based multiplayer game Kiln at least means the studio is not starting from scratch. Those games generating sales revenue now flows directly to Double Fine rather than through a publisher.
On the subject of Kiln specifically, Schafer said updates are still in progress. “New maps and modes” are coming, and he also teased a price drop, adding with evident good humor that the studio is doing it “because we’re crazy.”
Amnesia Fortnight Returns, With a Twist
To help build momentum and extend that runway in the near term, Double Fine launched the Amnesia Fortnight 2026 Kickstarter on the same day as Schafer’s interview. The crowdfunding campaign will fund a game jam starting August 31 and running through most of September.
Amnesia Fortnight is a Double Fine tradition, a structured period where small internal teams prototype game ideas rapidly. The 2026 version adds a community layer: backers will get a vote in deciding which ideas move into the prototyping stage. One of those prototypes is ultimately supposed to become a finished, if intentionally small, game.
Documentary studio 2 Player Productions, which has previously followed Double Fine through productions including the making of Broken Age, will film the entire jam. That footage is planned to become a documentary.
The Kickstarter is both a practical fundraising tool and a signal about what kind of studio Double Fine wants to be in its next chapter. Independent, community-connected, and transparent about the messy creative process. Schafer has built a career on studios that show their work, and right now, showing the work is also how the lights stay on.
Does Double Fine now own the rights to Psychonauts and its other Microsoft-era games?
Yes. CEO Tim Schafer confirmed during a Kinda Funny Games interview that the IP and publishing rights for all of Double Fine's games have transferred back to the studio following its split from Xbox. Some titles may still show Microsoft as owner in storefronts for now, but Schafer says that will change as the paperwork processes.
What is Amnesia Fortnight 2026?
It is a Kickstarter-funded game jam Double Fine announced on August 21, 2026. The jam runs from August 31 through most of September. Backers get to vote on which ideas advance to the prototyping stage, with one prototype eventually becoming a finished small game. 2 Player Productions will document the entire process.
How can fans financially support Double Fine right now?
Schafer said purchasing any of the studio's existing games sends revenue directly to Double Fine and helps extend its operational runway. Backing the Amnesia Fortnight 2026 Kickstarter is another avenue the studio opened on the same day as Schafer's interview.
What happened to Double Fine after it left Xbox?
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Double Fine would retain its IP, catalog, and a runway for its next games as part of a broader Xbox restructuring that also included 3,200 layoffs. The split was followed almost immediately by layoffs affecting 25 percent of Double Fine's own team.