The Next Big Thing was first announced by Pendulo Studios and publisher Focus Home Interactive in April 2010, and it initially lacked a release date. That November, Focus Home scheduled the game for March 2011. The Next Big Thing debuted in Germany on February 4, 2011. Releases followed in France on April 7 and in the United States on April 21. As was common for Pendulo titles at the time, the Spanish version came after the game's international debut. It appeared on June 16, a launch date shared with the Italian edition. The Spanish version, published by FX Interactive, was bundled with the original Hollywood Monsters.
