Rockfish Games has secured €8 million in government funding to support development of its next entry in the Everspace franchise, according to GamesIndustry.biz. The Hamburg studio landed the maximum grant available under Germany's Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) funding program.
The BMFTR initiative, which launched in 2020, has since been expanded to a total pot of €125 million. The program covers up to 50% of game production and prototype development costs, with individual grants ranging from €300,000 all the way up to the €8 million ceiling that Rockfish just claimed in full.
What this means for the next Everspace
Rockfish is best known for the Everspace series - a space shooter franchise that blended roguelike mechanics with polished, visually striking combat. Everspace 2 launched into full release in 2023 after a well-received early access run, earning a strong reputation for its open-zone exploration and satisfying loot-driven progression loop.
With €8 million in non-dilutive funding secured, the studio has serious runway to build out whatever comes next. Government grants of this scale are particularly valuable for mid-sized independent studios because the money doesn't require giving up equity or taking on debt - it just goes straight into development.
Germany doubling down on domestic game development
The expanded €125 million fund signals a clear commitment from the German government to grow its domestic games industry. Germany is already one of Europe's largest gaming markets by revenue, but has historically punched below its weight when it comes to homegrown development talent compared to studios in the UK, France, or the Nordic countries.
The BMFTR structure - covering up to half of production costs for qualifying projects - gives studios a meaningful cushion without requiring commercial publishers to get involved early. That kind of independence can make a real difference in the scope and creative direction a team is willing to pursue.
Rockfish being awarded the top-tier €8 million bracket suggests the ministry views the studio as one of Germany's more established and credible development operations, which tracks given the commercial and critical success Everspace 2 achieved across PC and consoles.
What's next
No official title or release window has been announced for the next Everspace game. Given that Rockfish tends to use early access as part of its release strategy, it's reasonable to expect the studio will surface more details well before any full launch. For now, the funding news alone confirms the project is moving forward with serious backing behind it.
