When to step in: Ivan Carrillo on ownership, publishing, and saving a studio in trouble

Welcome to Coffee.Press.Play., brought to you by The Business of Games Podcast, powered by Xsolla.Recorded live at GDC 2026 inside the Xsolla Clubhouse, this series puts a twist on the traditional interview format: guests play a round of a classic video game against our Xsolla host and the outcome determines whether they face an easy question or a hard one.In this episode, host Chris Hewish sits down with Ivan Carrillo, Managing Partner at Joystick Ventures — an investment fund and publisher supporting indie studios around the world.Ivan's portfolio speaks for itself: a track record of successful releases, with more on the way. But before getting into any of that, he had to face Chris across a game of Super Smash Bros. — and came out on the losing end.That meant the hard question. And Ivan's answer was more honest than most would offer in front of a camera.What you'll hear:How Joystick Ventures operates as both an investment fund and a publisher for indie studios worldwideWhat happened when a portfolio studio wasn't delivering — and why Ivan chose not to write off the investmentWhat it actually means to "take over" development as a publisher, and what that costs in time, money, and trustWhy the studio Ivan stepped in to help is better off for it — and what that outcome reveals about how Joystick Ventures worksLet's get into it.For more insights and resources, visit xsolla.com/podcast. Want to join the conversation? Follow and comment on our LinkedIn page at The Business of Games Podcast. That’s where we’ll be sharing updates, highlights, and continuing the discussion. And don’t forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share the podcast with friends who want to learn more about the business of games.