Team17 started life in 1990 as a developer on the Amiga computer platform before hitting it big with Worms in 1995. That franchise — where cartoon worms blast each other with bazookas and exploding sheep — became one of gaming’s most recognizable brands and has spawned dozens of sequels and spin-offs across every platform imaginable.
Over the past decade, Team17 transformed from a single-franchise studio into a prolific indie publisher. The company’s games label has shipped titles like Overcooked, The Escapists, Moving Out, Blasphemous, and Neon Abyss. It typically partners with small and mid-sized studios, providing development funding, QA support, porting assistance, and marketing in exchange for revenue share.
The publisher went public on the London AIM market in 2018, raising capital to accelerate its publishing pipeline. At its peak, Team17 had a market cap exceeding $1 billion, though it pulled back significantly after a controversial NFT announcement in 2022 that the company reversed within 24 hours following community backlash.
Team17’s Wakefield headquarters houses around 300 employees who handle everything from business development to quality assurance. The company operates a dual model: its own internal development teams still produce Worms games and new original IP, while the publishing arm scouts and supports external developers. This hybrid approach gives Team17 a steady revenue floor from its own franchises while capturing upside from breakout indie hits.
