Avery Lipman, Founder, Republic Records & Vice Chairman and COO, REPUBLIC Collective
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 RepublicRecords artists while their tracks play during matches.
The companies did not disclose the playable artists for the game. Artists under Republic Records’ roster include 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 more.
The launch of the new game comes amid the continued crossover in gaming and music. Last year, Republic Records launched a product called Boombox in Roblox to enable players to listen to music in-game.
In 2023, Republic Records partnered with metaverse studio Karta and JYPManagement to launch the TWICESquare fan experience for K-pop group TWICE.
Avery Lipman, Founder, Republic Records & Vice Chairman and COO, REPUBLICCollective, said: “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, REPUBLICCollective
Added Lipman: “They’ve created a new paradigm with OnlyHands. It’s a seamless platform for the integration of gaming, music, and culture.”
Nothing ProjectsInteractive describes the game as creating an interactive environment where music and gaming feed each other, with content that adapts to pop culture developments faster than traditional gaming platforms.
Zane Comer, CEO of Nothing Projects Interactive, said: “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,” operating on four key strategies: combat-driven streaming, where winning a match plays real artist tracks, generating both streams and revenue on and off-platform; playable artist avatars that function as dynamic characters built on artist catalogs; instant content injection, allowing artists to add tracks, cosmetics, or signature moves directly into gameplay; and live fan economy that combines streams, drops, and in-game purchases.
OnlyHands’ approach to gaming makes music central to gameplay instead of it just being a background component of the game. In March, UniversalMusic Group announced a collaboration with game development platform HEAT that will bring the music of Lil’ Wayne and CG5 to game developers.
In recent years, Republic’s parent company, Universal Music Group, has made significant inroads into the video game industry.
That same year, APM, the production music company co-owned by UMG and Sony Music Group, struck a deal with Reactional, a startup specializing in bringing customized, reactive music into video games.
