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DAVY x JONES

PC Steam Early Access

OVERVIEW

Plan of Attack partnered with PARASIGHT to launch DAVY x JONES, a revenge-fuelled action adventure that reimagines pirate myth through a bold, darkly comic lens. Set in a surreal pirate underworld, the game follows a freshly resurrected legend, separated from his own head, as he forms an unlikely alliance with his talkative skull companion and fights to reclaim what was stolen.

With its striking tone, fast-paced combat, and a premise built for virality, DAVY x JONES was positioned as a standout PC indie in a competitive 2025 landscape. Our goal was to introduce the IP to global press at scale, build sustained momentum through demo and event beats, and convert that awareness into hands-on previews, reviews, and creator coverage around the game’s Steam Early Access launch.

THE CAMPAIGN

Our work on DAVY x JONES spanned four months, beginning with a global IP reveal and culminating in the Steam Early Access launch and final reporting. The campaign was built around clear, repeatable PR beats designed to create ongoing spikes in attention: reveal → demo → release date/value hook → gamescom → out now.

Early visibility was anchored by a 24-hour IGN exclusive that debuted the game and established top-tier credibility immediately. We then sustained interest through a Steam Next Fest-adjacent demo beat, followed by an Early Access release date announcement built around a headline-friendly pricing hook: $6.66 for the first 6 days, 6 hours, and 6 minutes.

Knowing PARASIGHT would be at gamescom 2025, Plan of Attack began pitching in July to secure maximum press and influencer attendance. Despite an exceptionally competitive environment, we secured 48 meetings across three days, including hands-on previews with high-tier outlets such as IGN Germany, GAMINGbible, ActuGaming, Rocket Beans TV, digitecgalaxus.ch, Sector.sk, and Games.cz / tiscali.

Immediately after gamescom, we supported the Early Access launch communications push and executed a large-scale organic influencer campaign, with targeted outreach to creators known for FPS, action, and dark fantasy coverage.

WHAT WE DID

  • 4 global press releases distributed + published on GamesPress

  • 35.9% average open rate across releases (approx. 625 opens per send)

  • Two 24-hour IGN exclusives, including debut reveal and release-date trailer

  • gamescom 2025 booking campaign: 48 press/influencer meetings secured

  • Extensive review key & preview outreach, including multiple follow-up rounds

  • Organic creator campaign:

    • 1,700+ influencers contacted (FPS/action/horror-adjacent targeting)

    • 145 key requests

    • Tracked outputs: 92 TikTok videos, 640 Twitch streams, 625 YouTube videos

COVERAGE + IMPRESSIONS

The DAVY x JONES campaign generated 433 total pieces of global coverage, including 347 news hits and 86 previews / first impressions / reviews.

Coverage appeared across 33 countries, with the strongest traction in key target territories including the United States, France, Spain, Brazil, and Italy. The game earned pickup from both mainstream and specialist outlets, including MSN, Daily Motion, Yahoo, IGN, and IGN China, supported by a robust base of long-tail genre press that sustained visibility across the campaign window.

Coverage Breakdown

  • 347 News stories

  • 86 Reviews / previews / first impressions

  • 433 Total pieces of coverage

IGN Partnership Impact

Plan of Attack secured two 24-hour exclusives with IGN to maximise visibility at the campaign’s highest-leverage moments.

  • Reveal trailer (May 25/27 period):

    • 500,000+ views in first week

    • To date: 677K views on IGN main channel, 27K on GameTrailers, and 230K on PARASIGHT’s channel

  • Release-date trailer (August 13):

    • To date: 69K on IGN main channel, 4.7K on GameTrailers, and 12K on PARASIGHT’s channel

The first exclusive created the largest spike of awareness and set the foundation for the rest of the campaign; the second reinforced credibility and visibility during a critical conversion beat.

gamescom 2025

Plan of Attack pitched DAVY x JONES across press, creator, and attending media lists, booking appointments across Wednesday - Friday (Aug 20 - 22) at PARASIGHT’s booth (Hall 4.2, D068 - B061). The title’s distinctive premise and tone translated strongly in hands-on demos and resulted in multiple previews from tiered outlets.

Despite a small number of no-shows/cancellations, gamescom delivered meaningful high-quality touchpoints, including attendance from IGN Germany, GAMINGbible, Sector.sk, digitecgalaxus.ch, and Games.cz / tiscali.media.

CRITICAL RESPONSE HIGHLIGHTS

Across reviews and previews, the majority of sentiment was positive, with recurring praise for:

What landed well

  • Humour and personality (often noted as recognisable for fans of PARASIGHT’s work)

  • Atmosphere and worldbuilding within the pirate underworld setting

  • Combat loop and risk/reward structure tied to encounters and rewards

  • Narrative hook and the head/body dynamic as a standout differentiator

TAKEAWAYS

DAVY x JONES proved that a highly original premise can scale globally when paired with a top-tier reveal, a clear beat cadence, and an event + creator strategy that keeps the conversation active over time.

The campaign validated a repeatable approach for Early Access launches:

  • lead with credibility (exclusive)

  • sustain with structured beats (demo/date/event/launch)

  • and amplify with creator volume, while turning Early Access critique into actionable priorities for future updates

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