Gamefam was founded in 2019 inLos Angeles,California, United States, by Joe Ferencz, the currentCEO. Ferencz was originally involved with bringingHot Wheels into theForza series andRocket League, and while doing so, he was observingRoblox's success as afree-to-play video game platform.[6] Explaining his reason for founding Gamefam, Ferencz toldTechCrunch, "Roblox truly is theMetaverse for this younger generation. What that means is that each game needs to have a very distinctive and attractive immersion to it, in a way that mobile free-to-play doesn’t."[1] The company is described by Ferencz as the "first and only fully-dedicated, professional game publishing company on Roblox"[7] and has recruited veteran game developers.[5]
In October 2021, Gamefam partnered withWowWee to create toys for their popularRoblox gameTwilight Daycare.[10]
In November 2021, Gamefam partnered withWildBrain to start integrating various brands into their portfolio ofRoblox titles.[11]
Since then, they have launched the L.O.L. Surprise! integration in "Twilight Daycare."[12]
In March 2022, Gamefam announced they have raised $25 million in its Series A funding round, which was led by Konvoy Ventures and participated in by Play Ventures, Makers Fund,Bessemer Venture Partners and Galaxy Interactive.[13]
In April 2022, Gamefam, with the partnership ofSega of America, releasedSonic Speed Simulator onRoblox, which is aSonic the Hedgehog game.[14] Its launch was the largest onRoblox, with 70 million plays[15] and 275,000 concurrent players in the first week of its release, and it would reach 500 million visits in its first four months. Joe Ferencz called it "the No. 1 branded game of all time on Roblox".[5]
In October 2022, Gamefam partnered withSpin Master andFeld Entertainment to introduce Monster Jam into Roblox through a month-long integration within the "Car Dealership Tycoon" game.[16]
In the same month, Gamefam collaborated with theNational Football League (NFL),Intuit, andWarner Music Group to produce a virtualSuper Bowl concert on Roblox, featuring hip-hop artistSaweetie in "Rhythm City", a music-themed social roleplay experience on Roblox. The concert premiered on February 10, 2023, and re-aired hourly until February 12, 2023, coinciding withSuper Bowl LVII.[19][20][21]
In May 2023, Gamefam collaborated withCirque du Soleil Entertainment Group to create "Cirque du Soleil Tycoon," a circus-themed tycoon game on Roblox.[22]
In September 2023, Gamefam collaborated with Spin Master to introduce the "Unicorn Academy" within "Twilight Daycare," aiming to engage fans of the Netflix show by airing the show within the Roblox game.[23]
In October 2023, Spin Master and Gamefam again partnered to bring Monster Jam content to "Car Dealership Tycoon."[24]
In August 2024, "Sonic Speed Simulator" became the first branded game on Roblox to surpass one billion visits.[25]
In October 2024, Gamefam and Spin Master partnered for the third consecutive year to bring Monster Jam content to "Car Dealership Tycoon."[26]
In January 2025, Gamefam collaborated withKIDZ BOP andConcord Records to bring their kid-friendly pop songs into “Really Easy Obby” game on Roblox.[27]
In May 2024, Gamefam launched the Gamefam Creator Fund, a $5 million initiative aimed at supporting user-generated content (UGC) developers on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. The fund provided selected creators with investments ranging from $10,000 to over $100,000, along with access to Gamefam's expertise in game design, monetization strategies, marketing, and analytics.[28][29] Reportedly, 25% of the fund is reserved for creators from underrepresented backgrounds as a commitment to fostering diversity within the gaming industry.[30]
In December 2022, former employees accused Gamefam of underpaying their employees whilecrunching them, as well aslaying some off before the holidays without much warning, which was reportedly against the contract. Because the employees reported working onSonic Speed Simulator while being mistreated, thehashtag #SonicSweatshopSimulator trended onTwitter as a protest by fans. Gamefam released a statement denying the accusations and began banning users who brought them up in theSonic Speed SimulatorDiscord server.[31][32] In April 2023, Gamefam settled with an employee after he had filed a complaint to theNational Labor Relations Board alleging that the company had violated theNational Labor Relations Act by threatening retaliation against employees that spoke with coworkers about their salaries. The employee was paid $5,000USD in bonuses and Gamefam was legally obligated to remind its employees of their rights.[4][33]
^McCracken, Harry (April 19, 2023)."Roblox grows up".Fast Company. Fast Company, Inc.Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. RetrievedMay 31, 2023.
