ZR Consulting — Gaming Industry Strategy & Brand Consulting

Daedalic

PlayStation

Level Infinite

Activision

Rockstar

Take 2

Plaion

Sharkmob

Gamer Network

DECK13

Knights Peak

Seriously

Blizzard

Tencent Games

My.Games

Gamigo

Mirebound

Spielfabrique

Wild River

Headup

Epic Games

Saber Interactive

Aesir

Crytek

Bambaa

Daedalic

PlayStation

Level Infinite

Activision

Rockstar

Take 2

Plaion

Sharkmob

Gamer Network

DECK13

Knights Peak

Seriously

Blizzard

Tencent Games

My.Games

Gamigo

Mirebound

Spielfabrique

Wild River

Headup

Epic Games

Saber Interactive

Aesir

Crytek

Bambaa

Latest Insights

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The Art of the Acquisition

Featured

May29th, 2026

The Art of the Acquisition

Why do up to 90% of corporate mergers fail to deliver on their financial promises, and why is the ultimate culprit almost never found on a spreadsheet? In our latest newsletter, we dive deep into the "culture overwrite" trap, the damaging corporate reflex to aggressively assimilate new acquisitions rather than protect the unique spark that made them valuable in the first place. We unpack why successful scaling actually requires a cultural translator rather than an enforcer, and how preserving localized talent hubs protects the invaluable institutional knowledge that keeps a business thriving. Drawing on firsthand integration insights from gaming industry veteran Benedikt Grindel during Ubisoft's high-stakes acquisition of Blue Byte, this piece explores the heavy organizational cost of "firing the chefs after buying their secret sauce." How do you balance global corporate requirements with local team rhythms, and what does true M&A leadership look like in an era of aggressive restructuring?

Read on LinkedIn

May 22nd, 2026

The Safe-Bet Crisis

Are we designing games for pure enjoyment, or have we just become experts at migrating player emotion out of the core experience and into the mechanics of progression? In my latest newsletter, I take a hard look at the staggering "safe-bet crisis" currently hitting the gaming industry, where studios meticulously map out battle passes and live-ops calendars before proving their core 30-second gameplay loop is actually fun to play. We have fallen into a dangerous corporate trap of designing for operational efficiency instead of creative taste, and the market is delivering a brutal reality check to these over-engineered "wrapper games." Drawing from a recent Game Craft Podcast episode and a timeless design philosophy from Shigeru Miyamoto, this essay explores why brilliant monetization layers can never rescue a boring core loop, and why indie studios have quietly become the true modern R&D labs of our industry. As advanced tech lowers content engineering costs, the market value of raw mechanical excellence and pure creative taste is skyrocketing. Read the full piece to see why it's time to stop hiding behind spreadsheet-driven metrics and remember how to build a game that is delightful to play on a completely blank screen

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May 15th, 2026

The 'Threequel' Trap

Why do so many legendary video game franchises lose their way exactly when they should be celebrating a trilogy's completion? My latest newsletter update, "The 'Threequel' Trap," explores the thin line between iterative innovation and the catastrophic feature creep that often sinks third installments. I examine the "Complexity Ceiling" and why industry leaders are now prioritizing a "Core-First" philosophy, focusing on deepening existing mechanics rather than bloating them with unnecessary systems. This update looks at how studios can bypass sequel fatigue and technical debt and how the "70/30 Rule" and Shigeru Miyamoto's design principles can possibly save the next big IP. Check out the full update for a look at the future of lean, high-fidelity game development.

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What I Do

01

🎯

Brand Strategy

Building distinctive studio identities and game brands that resonate with players and partners based on more than 25 years of experience in the industry.

02

📣

Strategic Communications

Crafting narratives that cut through the noise. Press strategy, key message development, and stakeholder management, as well content creation and distribution through media and creators is where is where we shine. We understand that authentic and relevant content matters most and know how to plan, produce and distribute it.

03

🚀

Go-to-Market Planning

Comprehensive launch strategies for games, studios, and services. Market analysis, campaign architecture and funnel modelling that connect all the dots along the customer journey, whether we only provide parts of the campaign or all of it.

04

🌍

Market Expansion

Expert guidance for entering the global markets. Set in Europe we are at home in the world with network experts and partners in all Top Tier markets such as Europe, Northern America and the APAC region.

05

🤝

Publisher Relations

Bridging the gap between development studios and publishing partners because we understand both sides and their specific needs based on years of experience in working with publishers and developers.

06

🎪

Event & Trade Show

We understand how to reach consumers in real life as much as we do digitally and know how to connect both worlds with end-to-end strategies for major Gamescom, GDC, and other key industry shows as well as bespoke events.

Work & Impact

Go-To-Market

The Occultist

Led the full go-to-market strategy for DALOAR Studios' debut title, published by Daedalic Entertainment — a first-person paranormal thriller shipping on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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Go-to-Market

Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown: Global Go-to-Market Strategy

Spearheaded the comprehensive global Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown, a highly anticipated, narrative-driven 4X/strategy title. The campaign focused on leveraging the established Star Trek IP's massive, multi-generational fanbase while simultaneously attracting core strategy gamers. We designed and executed a multi-phase campaign spanning brand positioning, asset production, global communications, and launch coordination, ensuring maximum visibility and pre-order momentum.

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BizDev, Publisher Management, Marketing

Mirebound Interactive — Causal Loop

When Mirebound Interactive a there-person studio founded by ex-Blizzard veterans Kai Moosmann and Daniel Radschun, as well as Julian König, first approached ZR Consulting, they had an ambitious vision and a compelling prototype, but no publisher and no clear path to market.

Mirebound needed to transform Causal Loop, a narrative-driven first-person puzzler built in Unreal Engine 5, from an early-stage concept into a commercially viable product with the right publishing partner.

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Go-to-Market

Mandragora: Global Go-to-Market Strategy

Designed and executed the comprehensive global go-to-market (GTM) strategy for Mandragora, a highly anticipated 2D dark fantasy RPG. This included full management of the communications funnel, spanning brand positioning, asset creation, channel strategy, and launch execution, leading to significant visibility and a strong foundation for post-launch success.

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Launch Campaign

Painkiller Launch Campaign: Discord Video Quest

Designed and executed a pioneering, community-centric launch activation for the Painkiller franchise revival using the Discord Video Quest feature. The campaign successfully leveraged the platform's native engagement tools to drive brand awareness, boost wishlists/purchases, and generate high-quality user-generated content (UGC) by incentivizing players to stream the game to their friends.

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Brand Strategy

Exoborne: Brand Strategy, Positioning, and Reveal

Developed and executed the comprehensive brand strategy for Exoborne, a major new IP for a high-stakes, tactical extraction shooter from a renowned AAA studio. This project included defining the game's official name, positioning, key unique selling propositions (USPs), core narrative pillars, and coordinating the global reveal at The Game Awards, successfully establishing a strong, distinct identity in a competitive genre.

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Event Strategy

Level Infinite: Gamescom Booth

Strategic oversight and executive leadership for the Level Infinite Gamescom presence. Leading global teams to design, coordinate, and execute a massive, multi-title booth activation that successfully unified the brand, maximized media coverage, and achieved record player engagement.

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The Founder

⃢Creators

🎨Creative

🎮Brand Activation

📊Analytics

📺Media Partners

My Approach

🔗

Connected Ecosystem

Access to a curated network of media professionals, creative talent, and industry insiders built over 25+ years.

🎯

Focused Expertise

Deep vertical specialization in gaming and entertainment means strategies built for your industry and your individual project, not adapted from another.

⚡

Agile Delivery

Senior-level thinking without the overhead of a large agency. Fast decisions, direct access, and tailored execution.

Get in Touch

📧

Email

info@zrconsulting.de

📍

Location

Germany · Available Worldwide

🗓

Availability

Currently accepting new projects

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Company / Studio

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✅

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Inner Circle

Our Experts

A curated network of trusted partners, specialists and collaborators.

📷

Christian Denk

Partner & Senior Consultant, Events & Brand Activation

Event and activation specialist behind some of the most memorable industry moments at Gamescom, PSC, EGX and beyond. Christian transforms trade show presence into measurable B2B outcomes, from booth concept to follow-up programme.

📷

Jean-Marc Broyer

Partner & Senior Developer Advisor

Helps studios with production and build analysis, turning operator experience into clear feedback and proven methods that deliver results. Investors reduce risk and back stronger teams; publishers strengthen portfolios and build lasting franchises; independent studios gain clarity and deal readiness.

📷

Martin Pitzl

Senior Marketing & Publishing Consultant

Two decades of senior marketing and publishing leadership across European games and hardware. Martin brings hands-on experience from the full publishing stack, launch architecture, portfolio strategy, and the operational discipline that AAA scale demands.

📷

Andreas Traxler

Senior Consultant, Crowdfunding Platforms

Crowdfunding specialist with deep expertise across Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and platform-agnostic community campaigns. Andreas turns pre-launch attention into validated demand and committed players who are invested before launch day.

📷

Bernd Berheide

Senior Consultant, PR & Communications

Senior PR and communications strategist with extensive relationships across International gaming media. Bernd leads launch comms, thought leadership placement, and the high-stakes messaging moments that define a studio's public profile.

📷

Stefan Wehler

Senior Media Strategist

Media strategist with deep performance marketing expertise. Stefan architects paid funnels across Meta, Google, TikTok, and programmatic, with a focus on retention and lifetime value, not just install counts.

📷

Oliver Kortemeier

Senior Creative & Art Director

Senior creative leader with a sharp eye for the visual language that makes games stand out. Oliver shapes art direction and creative strategy across key art, trailers, and brand assets, translating a game's soul into the imagery that sells it.

📷

Boris Giesl

Senior Video Producer & Editor

Senior video producer specialising in trailers, dev diaries, and branded content that move the needle for games. Boris brings cinematic instinct to every cut, from announcement teasers to launch trailers, building the narrative arc that audiences actually remember.

Testimonials

What Clients Say

ZR Consulting was instrumental in shaping the launch campaign for Painkiller. The strategic foresight and deep understanding of audience engagement through Discord provided a massive boost to our execution, ensuring a truly impactful rollout

Jérôme Ortmann

Sr. Brand Marketing & Portfolio Director, Saber Interactive

ZR Consulting provided exceptional clarity to our strategic brand efforts, both at the studio level and across our specific game projects. The insights delivered were crucial for aligning our overarching vision and strengthening DECK 13's market positioning.

Lars Janssen

CEO, DECK 13

Navigating a brand as dynamic as Fortnite requires a highly nuanced strategic lens. ZR Consulting delivered exceptional insights and campaign optimizations that significantly sharpened our approach and elevated our marketing effectiveness.

Manuel Bronner

Marketing Director, Epic Games

Having ZR Consulting support our ongoing marketing and publishing efforts has been invaluable. The consistent, high-level strategic guidance ensures we navigate the complexities of the current market with absolute confidence.

Jonas Hüsges

COO, Daedalic Entertainment

After more than 25 years in the games industry, I can clearly say that the go-to-market guidance from ZR Consulting stands out. Their publishing expertise and sharp business development perspective helped us refine our positioning and significantly strengthen our commercial roadmap.

Marc Bosch

CEO DeeBee Entertainment & Software

For the global Go-to-Market of Mandragora, ZR Consulting delivered outstanding strategic clarity. The expertise brought to our global brand marketing made a tangible, positive difference in how we approached our rollout.

Mario Gerhold

Global Brand & Marketing Director, Knights Peak / MY.GAMES

Sizzle Reel

Many Projects, One Reel

A short look at the games, studios, and stories I've helped bring to market across the last few months.

Watch on YouTube ↗

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