Yacht Club confirms Mina the Hollower was the shot in the arm it needed stay alive—'for now'
News Source
•Sat, 31 Oct 2026 17:41:22 +0000
📰 What Happened
Yacht Club Games says its new game, Mina the Hollower, saved the studio, at least for now. The game sold more than 500,000 copies within a few weeks of launch.
Before release, co-founder Cris Velasco said the game was make-or-break. Selling 200,000 copies would have been great, and 100,000 would not have been enough.
The studio is now working on updates, including randomizer and speedrun options. Most of the team has moved to an unannounced 3D game.
🔍 The Backstory
Yacht Club became famous with Shovel Knight in 2014. Free updates and extra campaigns made it one of the best-value indie games around.
Mina the Hollower was announced in 2022 and was delayed more than once. Those delays left the small studio short of money.
The game is a gothic action adventure with hard combat. PC Gamer's review gave it 90 percent, and it is now in the running for game of the year.
🎯 Why It Matters
Small studios live or die on one release. This shows how a single hit can keep a loved maker going, and how thin the safety margin is.
Yacht Club Games says its new game, Mina the Hollower, saved the studio, at least for now. The game sold more than 500,000 copies within a few weeks of launch.
Before release, co-founder Cris Velasco said the game was make-or-break. Selling 200,000 copies would have been great, and 100,000 would not have been enough.
The studio is now working on updates, including randomizer and speedrun options. Most of the team has moved to an unannounced 3D game.
Yacht Club became famous with Shovel Knight in 2014. Free updates and extra campaigns made it one of the best-value indie games around.
Mina the Hollower was announced in 2022 and was delayed more than once. Those delays left the small studio short of money.
The game is a gothic action adventure with hard combat. PC Gamer's review gave it 90 percent, and it is now in the running for game of the year.
Small studios live or die on one release. This shows how a single hit can keep a loved maker going, and how thin the safety margin is.