Many know the name “Saints Row,” but likely few would recognize the name of its publisher. Koch Media, which has been publishing games since the ’90s, has been behind big franchises like Saints Row, Metro, and Shadow Warrior. Today, the company announced a big change. Koch Media is rebranding itself as Plaion, a move it believes will “better portray who we are and the journey we are taking.” And maybe it’ll also prevent people from erecting any more crude jokes. I mean, it was pretty low-hanging fruit.
Not much beyond the name is changing for Koch Media, now Plaion. The company is still footing the bill for the upcoming Saints Row reboot, which will arrive soon on August 23. As the parent company of Flying Wild Hog, it’ll also see the release of Evil West this September. And there will be plenty more in the near and distant future for the nearly 30-year-old publisher.
“Over the last 28 years, we have built an incredibly strong business, partnering with many of the best-known names in the industry,” said Klemens Kundratitz, co-founder and CEO at Plaion. “Since joining the Embracer Group in 2018, growth has accelerated and we have become increasingly diversified. To reflect the evolving nature of our business in terms not only of content, but also of geography as we continue our expansion across the globe, we have chosen our new name to better portray who we are and the journey we are taking.”
It’s pronounced how you think
The name change is as deliberate as it seems when it comes to games publishing. Plaion, pronounced “play on,” does sound like more like a video game publisher at first blush than Koch Media. The rebranding could allow for better name recognition going forward.
“As PLAION, we’re building on our years of success while striving for more, much more,” Kundratitz continued. “PLAION is a promise to deliver outstanding entertainment to our customers. I’m happy and proud to continue our journey as PLAION.”
Plaion’s parent company is Embracer Group, which has gone a long way in creating a video game empire. The company recently bought three studios off of Square Enix for $300 million USD.
