Republic Records makes gaming push in strategic partnership with Nothing Projects Interactive

Universal Music Group‘s Republic Records has inked a strategic partnership with developer Nothing Projects Interactive to launch OnlyHands, a real-time mobile fighting game where music influences gameplay.

The game, scheduled for release in Q4 2025, allows players to control characters based on Republic Records artists while their tracks play during matches.

The companies did not disclose the playable artists for the game. Artists under Republic Records’ roster embrace Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Conan Gray, Cynthia Erivo, Florence + the Machine, John Legend,  Jonas Brothers, Kid Cudi, Kim Petras, Lorde, Miranda Lambert, Nicki Minaj, Pearl Jam, Shania Twain, Stevie Wonder and extra.

The launch of the brand new sport comes amid the continued crossover in gaming and music. Last yr, Republic Records launched a product referred to as Boombox in Roblox to allow gamers to hearken to music in-game.

In 2023, Republic Records partnered with metaverse studio Karta and JYP Management to launch the TWICE Square fan expertise for Okay-pop group TWICE.

Avery Lipman, Founder, Republic Records & Vice Chairman and COO, REPUBLIC Collective, stated: “When we first met with Nothing Projects Interactive, we bonded over a similar commitment to pursuing innovation in our respective worlds.”

“When we first met with Nothing Projects Interactive, we bonded over a similar commitment to pursuing innovation in our respective worlds.”

Avery Lipman, REPUBLIC Collective

Added Lipman: “They’ve created a new paradigm with OnlyHands. It’s a seamless platform for the integration of gaming, music, and culture.”

Nothing Projects Interactive describes the sport as creating an interactive surroundings the place music and gaming feed one another, with content material that adapts to popular culture developments quicker than conventional gaming platforms.

Zane Comer, CEO of Nothing Projects Interactive, stated: “Gaming and music were never truly separate—they just hadn’t found their native form.”

“What we’re building isn’t a crossover—it’s a new medium. It’s not designed for distribution – it’s built to grow, shapeshift and drive culture.”

“What we’re building isn’t a crossover — it’s a new medium. It’s not designed for distribution – it’s built to grow, shapeshift and drive culture.”

Zane Comer, Nothing Projects Interactive 

OnlyHands represents what Nothing Projects calls a “music-first approach,” working on 4 key methods: combat-driven streaming, the place profitable a match performs actual artist tracks, producing each streams and income on and off-platform; playable artist avatars that perform as dynamic characters constructed on artist catalogs; immediate content material injection, permitting artists so as to add tracks, cosmetics, or signature strikes straight into gameplay; and stay fan financial system that mixes streams, drops, and in-game purchases.

OnlyHands’ strategy to gaming makes music central to gameplay as a substitute of it simply being a background element of the sport. In March, Universal Music Group introduced a collaboration with sport improvement platform HEAT that may convey the music of Lil’ Wayne and CG5 to sport builders.

In current years, Republic’s father or mother firm, Universal Music Group, has made vital inroads into the online game business.

In 2023, it launched a music hub referred to as Beat Galaxy on Roblox.

That identical yr, APM, the manufacturing music firm co-owned by UMG and Sony Music Group, struck a deal with Reactional, a startup specializing in bringing personalized, reactive music into video video games.

Music Business Worldwide