Pitching for Funding - 2026 Lessons from and for the dev community

WILDFLOWER NEWSLETTER ALERT

Today's post is dev-centric. @brucestraley.bsky.social shares lessons and pointers on pitching for funding that didn't make it into his GDC talk.

Links for the full talk and a helpful PDF in the article. Pass it on!

wildflowerinteractive.substack.com/p/pitching-f...

"“Stick your chest out and go like — fuck it. Let’s try.”
— Bruce Straley, Co-Founder, Wildflower Interactive @ GDC 2026​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"

From a Naughty Dog to a Wildflower: The Fears, Failures, and Freedoms Found | Agenda | GDC Festival of Gaming Co-creator of The Last of Us and Co-Director of Uncharted 2 & 4, former Naughty Dog Bruce Straley started the independent studio Wildflower Interactive with the big intentions of building a new work c...

Hey all!

2 weeks from now I’ll give a GDC talk about the harrowing adventures of starting an indie studio. 😳

Thurs March 12th @ 4:30

Hope you can make it!

schedule.gdconf.com/session/from...

February 2026 Dev Update It’s nearing the end of February, and what does that mean for game devs? GDC!

GDC is just around the corner, and @brucestraley.bsky.social
is giving a talk on Thursday.

Check out our mini dev update for details and a quick look into what we’ve been up to recently. wildflowerinteractive.substack.com/p/february-2...

A stylized drawing of an old woman with chicken feet eating chocolates from a heart shaped box, and offering one to a large creature next to her.

Here's to adventuring with our favorite companions.

Happy Valentine's Day! 💘

She's got muffins on hand for the occasion!

Gertie has quite a journey ahead of her.

Uncharted and Last of Us director says Zelda: Wind Waker was the main inspiration for his new game's art style, because the devs wanted the graphics to "last the test of time" You can definitely see the Wind Waker vibes in Coven of the Chicken Foot

"We wanted to create an art style that would last the test of time."

www.gamesradar.com/games/advent...

The Last of Us co-director Bruce Straley wants to deliver a "unique type of storytelling" with Coven of the Chicken Foot, a lush love letter to ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Big in 2026 | The debut adventure from Wildflower Interactive has big ambitions in a challenging genre: "We've had to come up with innovative ways to work in the complicated companion space"

"almost toddler-like in its curious nature..."

www.gamesradar.com/games/advent...

Last of Us Co-Creator talks New Game! #lastofus #naughtydog #jakanddaxter

cc: @brucestraley.bsky.social, @gameinformer.com, @playwildflower.bsky.social

Coven of the Chicken Foot is revealed! I did rigging on this game for Wildflower Interactive as part of my work with Superseed Studios. Amazing team to work with on an amazing game. Make sure to wishlist it on Steam!

Someone is FINALLY doing a game with outlines offset from the base color layer!!!

We're finally approaching 101 Dalmatians-in-3D territory with real commercial products instead of 3am insomnia-fueled portfolio pieces!

An elderly witch with chicken feet runs down a path in the forest with a creature standing behind her.

You can read more about how our announce trailer came together over on substack!

wildflowerinteractive.substack.com

We’re delighted to announce our sound work on Coven of the Chicken Foot 👵💖🐔 It has a kind of warmth and magic that we feel lucky to have touched. Please enjoy the extremely lovely trailer!

Grandma game!! Discover the Coven of the Chicken Foot, a new game aobut an elderly withc who quitly goes back to work after all the dungeons have been plundered.

#TheGameAwards

Wildflower Interactive announces puzzle platformer adventure game Coven of the Chicken Foot for PC Wildflower Interactive, the studio established by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, The Last of Us, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End director Bruce Straley in 2022, has announced Coven of the Chicken Foot, a puzzle platformer adventure game coming to PC via Steam. A release date was not announced.

Wildflower Interactive announces puzzle platformer adventure game Coven of the Chicken Foot for PC

Wildflower Interactive, the studio established by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, The Last of Us, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End director Bruce Straley in 2022, has announced Coven of the Chicken Foot, a…

'The Last Of Us' Co-Creator's Breathtaking New Game Is One Of The Game Awards' Biggest Surprises The debut game from 'The Last of Us' co-creator Bruce Straley's Wildflower Interactive is an idiosyncratic adventure with two unlikely heroes.

Coven of the Chicken Foot looks and sounds VERY cool www.inverse.com/gaming/coven...

The Last of Us director’s new game lets you play as a little old witch Coven of the Chicken Foot's Gertie doesn’t move or attack like a traditional video game hero.

Coven of the Chicken Foot is Bruce Straley’s first game since leaving Naughty Dog in 2017. I spoke to him about the project ahead of the Game Awards, which has a lot more going on than its trailer implies. www.polygon.com/coven-of-the...

Gertie and her creature companion must venture into dungeons & lush forests on a quest to fulfill a coven’s oath.

Wishlist now on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3041680/...

Summon Hints from the Coven: wildflowerinteractive.substack.com

🍿 ✅
🌮 ✅

Team? Ready 👀

24 hours till #thegameawards

FINALLY!! 👀 #TheGameAwards

Subscribe to our Substack for Wildflower updates: wildflowerinteractive.substack.com

See ya Thursday

Celebrating the 3rd anniversary of Wildflower's founding! It started with a dream of making meaningful games with incredible people, and we're stoked to keep growing 🌻

this is EXCELLENT

As many moments as possible ❤️

Also, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow needs more appreciation overall

✅ Cowboy Bebop-inspired
✅ LGBTQIA+ focused
✅ Space Western!!!!!

We're so ready ❤️

Circe was selected by Bruce, our founder, as his favorite book! He's currently reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow but wanted to shout out Circe!

I was about to say "you okay?" but then I googled the movie 😆 it looks super fun!

Wildflower Interactive Exists! www.wildflowergames.comtwitter: @playwildflowerig: @playwildflowerWe can't wait to share what we've been up to, but for now STAY TUNED by following us.And th...

Blow out the candles & make a wish 🎂

Celebrating 1 year of growth, discovery & joy since announcing Wildflower to the world! What an inspiring, formidable rollercoaster ride. Props to all the small devs out there!

So proud of this team 💖 Excited to share more

youtube.com/watch?v=TMEgkVZTLIM