GOTY hopeful Mina the Hollower bought the studio financial stability “for now,” while the Shovel Knight devs work on a new 3D game
Yacht Club Games says Mina the Hollower’s sales have given the studio financial stability “for now”, after the game was described as a make-or-break release. The result has allowed most of the team to move on to a new 3D game, though the studio has not confirmed whether it is a Shovel Knight title.
Mina sold more than 500,000 copies in its first two weeks, putting it on course towards the developers’ earlier goal of one million. Yacht Club is also planning post-launch additions, including expanded randomiser options, enemy and boss randomisation, modifiers and speedrunner features. Co-founder Nick Wozniak said the studio learned that keeping the team focused on one game helped Mina succeed.
In short
- Mina sold over 500,000 copies in two weeks.
- Its success has given Yacht Club more financial breathing room.
- Most of the team is now working on a new 3D game.
Explained simply
Yacht Club Games is an independent studio best known for Shovel Knight, a series of action games starring a knight who fights with a shovel. Its newer game, Mina the Hollower, is a separate adventure in which players control a mouse-like hero exploring a dangerous world.
Independent studios rely on game sales to fund their staff and future projects, so the performance of a major release can affect what they can make next. Yacht Club has said most of its team is now working on a 3D game, but has not said whether it is connected to Shovel Knight.