Nacon

Nacon is a French video game publisher and gaming peripherals manufacturer based in Lesquin, France, originally founded as Bigben Interactive in 1981. The company rebranded as Nacon in 2020 following a separation from its parent entity, consolidating its game publishing and accessories divisions under one brand. Nacon pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy across the early 2020s before filing for bankruptcy in early 2026, triggering insolvency proceedings for several of its acquired studios including Cyanide, Spiders, and Kylotonn.

From Bigben Interactive to Nacon

Bigben Interactive built its early business distributing gaming accessories and peripherals across Europe, becoming a significant supplier of controllers, headsets, and charging solutions. The company expanded into game publishing in the 2010s, acquiring studios and licenses to build a AA publishing catalog. In 2020, the gaming division separated from the parent company and rebranded as Nacon while remaining listed on the Paris stock exchange. The peripherals business retained the Bigben name. Nacon’s game publishing arm then accelerated its acquisition strategy, buying Cyanide Studio, Spiders, Kylotonn, Daedalic Entertainment, and the Test Drive franchise from Atari in 2016 among other properties.

Notable Published Games

RoboCop: Rogue City, developed by Teyon and released in November 2023, was Nacon’s most successful critical release, receiving strong reviews and selling over one million copies in its first month. The game proved Teyon could deliver at a higher level than their previous work and was the clearest commercial success under the Nacon banner. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, developed by KT Racing and released in September 2024, was an open-world racing game that received mixed reviews and underperformed against expectations. GreedFall, developed by Spiders and published in 2019, was Nacon’s strongest RPG release, selling over two million copies. Styx: Blades of Greed, developed by Cyanide and released in February 2026, became the studio’s final release before the insolvency proceedings began.

Bankruptcy and Studio Closures

In early 2026, Nacon filed for bankruptcy following a period of commercial underperformance across several major titles and the financial strain of its acquisition-heavy strategy. The insolvency proceedings directly affected three of its acquired studios: Cyanide, developers of Blood Bowl and Call of Cthulhu; Spiders, developers of GreedFall and Steelrising; and Kylotonn, developers of the WRC rally racing series. All three studios were declared insolvent alongside Nacon’s bankruptcy. The outcome for the studios’ employees, IP, and ongoing projects remained uncertain at the time of the filings. RoboCop: Rogue City and other Nacon-published titles remained available on storefronts.

Gaming Peripherals

Separate from its publishing operation, Nacon’s gaming accessories division produces controllers, racing wheels, headsets, and other peripherals under the Nacon brand across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. The Revolution Pro Controller line for PlayStation has been among the more recognized products, offering customizable layouts for competitive players. The peripherals business continued to operate through the bankruptcy proceedings as a distinct revenue stream from the publishing side.