Jon Higgins

I joined New World Interactive, the studio behind Insurgency, when it was still indie and modder-rooted, and helped grow it into a commercial AA+ developer through to its acquisition by Saber Interactive in 2020. I worked directly with the founders across all areas of the business, and led European operations from Amsterdam.

Today I advise independent studios worldwide at Studio Capital Management, drawing on that operational experience to shape strategy and inform the decisions that carry real weight. Most people advising studios have only ever seen one from the outside.

Sitting at the intersection of publishers, funders, IP holders, licensors and studio heads gives me a rare view of the industry. I see where things are actually heading, the kind of picture you only build through long-standing relationships and trust, alongside the studio-level detail founders need at each step.

Advisory for studios on publishing and co-development agreements, funding strategy, franchise development and long-term IP value. Work-for-hire and co-development keep studios solvent and independent, and often lay the foundation for an original IP. Original IP and franchise development are the work I go deepest on.

I also mentor founders and early-stage studios, and speak on panels and at workshops. Enquiries welcome.

I advise the City of Calgary and its economic development groups on games-sector policy, strategy and execution, and work with provincial partners including the Government of Alberta and Digital Alberta.

I also support the studios coming through the region's incubators, including the Calgary Game Kiln and the Indie Ignition Incubator, funded through the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund and Prairies Economic Development Canada.