Rising Empire Studios Goes Full Indie

Have you ever worked relentlessly for something—pushed, sacrificed, believed—and then, once you finally got it, it didn’t feel right or meet your expectations? That’s us! We followed the industry map, checked the box, hit the mark…but the payoff didn’t match the price. It wasn’t us.

After months of deliberation, behind-the-scenes conversations, hearing the very real pain points of stores and fans alike, coupled with our own experiences, Rising Empire Studios is making a bold leap: we’re ditching traditional distribution entirely in America and going fully independent. That’s right—we’re cutting out the middle layers, the gatekeeping, and the barriers, and we’re going straight to the people who matter most to us: stores, players, and the community.

We don’t just make games as an Indie Studio. We are indie.

This isn’t just a business move. It’s a philosophical shift. Distribution is supposed to be a bridge—but too often it feels like a wall. 

Not anymore.

From here on out, Rising Empire Studios is owning the word indie. That’s our flag in the ground. And it’s more than a label—it’s in our DNA. It’s in the very slogan of our flagship title, “Alpha Clash TCG: THE Indie Comic Book Trading Card Game”.

This decision wasn’t made lightly. Distribution has long been the industry standard for scaling games and reaching shelves—but it also comes with compromises. We’ve heard from stores over and over again: delays, shortages, lack of control, gatekeeping, being forced to carry one product in order to carry another. And we get it. We’ve been trying to provide promo cards, banners, posters, marketing materials, demo decks and more to stores, but distribution doesn’t want them. We don’t even know which stores carry the product most of the time. Distribution forces products into stores with no community, who then break street date and pricing policies, undercutting the stores who care. It leaves both parties in the dark and under supported, often creating negative feelings from the stores who get more support from other games, of which distribution is willing to send those items out on their behalf. It’s frustrating for everyone. 

So, we’re doing something different. Something scary. Something exciting. 

We're not just saying it—we're living it. Every card set release from this point forward will carry that energy, that commitment to independence, creativity, and community. No middlemen. Just raw, unfiltered indie Alpha Clash straight from our studio to the people who believe in it.

We will continue to work with key partners in international regions who are aligned with our goals, who work closely alongside our company and act as the boots on the ground, and are building amazing communities. 

And we know this raises questions. How will this affect stores? What does fulfillment look like? What’s the long-term vision? We’ve got answers—and we’re ready to talk about it!

That’s exactly where our new Champion Store program comes in. This initiative is the cornerstone of our direct model—a way to not just talk about supporting stores, but to actually do it. The Champion Store program gives us the ability to directly equip local game stores with marketing assets, support materials, direct access, store events, promos, exclusive pricing, a product exchange program and more that we could never accomplish through traditional channels. 

This isn’t just a label—we’re looking for real partnerships. The Champion Store program gives us a direct line to the people on the ground, running events, teaching the game, and building communities. We get to hear what’s working, what’s not, and actually do something about it. And it means our game ends up in places that want it—stores that care, players that show up, communities that grow. That’s the goal!

So, here’s the ask: If you’re a store that’s been waiting for a game to treat you like more than just a shipping address and a faceless customer on a spreadsheet—this is for you. If you’ve been grinding to build a scene without much support—this is for you. Apply to become a Champion Store and help us build something that actually works—for all of us.

We've also got other major updates—made possible by our shift to being fully indie. We’re retiring Clash Kits as you know them. Why? Because something better is coming in their place. 

We’re closing another chapter–starting with Set 6, we’re moving to fully draftable booster boxes! These booster boxes will premier bigger card packs and come at a higher price point of $99.99 to reflect the enhanced value and draft play experience. Fully draftable booster boxes with Set 6 will begin a new era, but our new PvE is the bridge. 

Siege of the Forgotten, our brand-new PvE (Player vs. Environment) experience, is here to reshape what a TCG can offer. This will be the first product going directly to Champion Stores.  Whether you're a local game store looking to run community nights, a new player looking for a way in, or a seasoned veteran seeking a new kind of challenge—this product was built for you. It offers a thrilling 1–5 player cooperative raid mode, where players team up to battle against powerful automated—or player-controlled—Bosses. And there’s more: Spoils of the Forgotten Treasure Packs will come inside each Siege of the Forgotten unit, as well as in a separate expansion booster product to be released alongside it, rewarding players for their victories.  Siege of the Forgotten brings something genuinely fresh to the table, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

We’ve got a lot more to say. So, this week we’re flying to Tulsa to join Covenant for a stream and podcasts where we’ll break it all down—the why, the how, the vision, and the road ahead. We’ll even play the new PvE, Siege of the Forgotten, on stream at 12pm CST this Wednesday and let you know more about our plans. If you care about indie games, comics, and creators in this space, you’re going to want to be part of that conversation.

This is a new chapter for Rising Empire Studios. Let’s change the game.