Legendary game publisher Acclaim has returned from the dead after 20 years with a new mission

Video game publisher Acclaim, which went bankrupt and closed in 2004, is making a comeback after 20 years thanks to a team of industry veterans who bought the company’s brand.

Image source: eurogamer

The reborn (at least in name) Acclaim is led by Graffiti Games founder Alex Josef, who has over 20 years of experience marketing and publishing hundreds of games for PC, consoles, and mobile devices.

Acclaim’s advisory board includes “industry leaders” such as Striker Entertainment’s Russell Binder, Ridge Partners’ Mark Caplan, and former professional wrestler Jeff Jarrett.

«“I’ve had the privilege of being a part of the wrestling and gaming worlds for over thirty years, and I’m excited to be a part of the rebirth of Acclaim… This is an opportunity to bring some of that passion and love [for gaming] to a new generation,” Jarrett said.

The Acclaim logo is familiar to many gamers (Image source: Acclaim)

Rising from the ashes, Acclaim says its goal is to resurrect classic franchises and support indie developers with funding, marketing and public relations help.

According to Joseph, the reborn Acclaim has already secured the support of “several incredible projects” from independent teams, and the “exceptionally talented” team will help return the publisher to the forefront of the industry.

Acclaim was founded in 1987 and rose to fame in the ’90s with a string of successful releases. The company brought Mortal Kombat, Turok, and NBA Jam to home consoles and released numerous licensed games.