Goal: Adelaide video game picked up by national distributor

Aug 13, 2025, updated Aug 13, 2025
Co-creators David Ashby (centre) and Tyler Roach (right) alongside in-game commentator Broden Kelly (left) at gaming convention AVCon earlier this year. Photo: Supplied
Co-creators David Ashby (centre) and Tyler Roach (right) alongside in-game commentator Broden Kelly (left) at gaming convention AVCon earlier this year. Photo: Supplied

Adelaide game development studio Powerbomb Games has reached a major milestone with their debut game, Pro Jank Footy, being acquired by Australian entertainment company Umbrella’s new video games division.

The agreement will see Umbrella Gaming come on board to provide funding and marketing in the lead-up to the game’s release in April next year.

InDaily spoke with co-creator Tyler Roach and producer Cameron Rogers about the deal, which they said they were “humbled” by.

Roach explained that Pro Jank Footy was designed for people who love Australian Rules Football.

“We really wanted to make sure that football fans care about this game,” he said.

But the game also has appeal for those less familiar with footy, with the sport’s rules quickly thrown out the window in favour of janky, chaotic powers.

The game, which blends local footy culture with irreverent humour and stylised, low-fi gameplay, emerged out of a Fantasy Football league with Rogers and Powerbomb Games director David Ashby.

In a conversation, Rogers remembers telling Ashby “‘there’s not that many funny games out there. You’re a funny guy, you’re interested in games, why don’t you try this out?’”

Ashby, who cut his teeth on surreal TV shows and web series like Danger 5 and Italian Spiderman, eventually got in touch with Roach, an experienced game developer formerly of Adelaide game studio Mighty Kingdom.

The pair put together a fully-fledged prototype over the span of a few months, brought it back to Rogers, and before long, they were bringing the game to industry expos to show it off.

They started off strong, with their first demonstration at the South Australian Game Exhibition in 2025 earning them the Best in Exhibition award.

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Roach saw this as a great vote of confidence at a critical moment for the team: “It opened up a lot of opportunities to talk about publishing and investment pathways,” he said.

Some of those opportunities took them overseas, where they began to attract interested buyers, but they jumped at the opportunity to take a pathway much closer to home with Umbrella Gaming.

Umbrella is largely known for its work in independent film distribution and preservation in Australia, and the investment in Pro Jank Footy marks the comapny’s first foray into interactive entertainment.

Umbrella’s General Manager Ari Harrison, who has collaborated with Ashby and Rogers in the past, expressed Umbrella’s excitement at the new initiative.

“Just as Umbrella has championed independent film, we’re now bringing that same passion and experience to the world of indie games,” Harrison said.

Another passionate member of the team is Broden Kelly of Aunty Donna, an avid football fan who lent his voice to act as in-game commentator.

Roach called him an effortless professional, saying: “he comes back with first takes on basically everything.”

The game is scheduled for further exhibitions in October at SXSW Sydney and PAX Australia in Melbourne and will be back in Adelaide for the South Australian Game Exhibition in 2026 ahead of its April release on all platforms.

It is available to add to wishlists on PC gaming platform Steam now.

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