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How Important Is the Power of a Publishing Label?

At Pocket Gamer Connects Summit 2026, industry leaders debated the relevance of publishing labels versus self‑publishing. Anshar Publishing highlighted how genre‑focused labels like Hooded Horse can amplify visibility for strategy games, while Avalanche Studios emphasized label‑driven platform access for B2B partners. Conversely, executives from CCP argued that player‑centric decisions make the publisher brand less critical, especially for service‑oriented experiences. The consensus suggests labels excel in discovery and niche markets, but self‑publishing remains viable for experience‑driven titles.