Secret Mode splits from Sumo Group to become an independent publisher
The UK publisher behind Still Wakes the Deep and A Little to the Left has new ownership
Sumo Group has sold Secret Mode, the UK publisher behind games including Still Wakes the Deep and A Little to the Left, for an undisclosed sum.
Investment firm Emona Capital partnered with the studio’s current leadership, co-founder James Schall and VP of publishing Ed Blincoe, to lead the buyout.
Schall and Blincoe will continue to run the company, which will operate as an independent publisher in partnership with Emona Capital, which previously invested in Relic Entertainment when it split from Sega.
Founded as part of Sumo in 2020, Secret Mode‘s portfolio of titles also includes Dear Esther, Wobbledogs, Eternal Threads, Critter Café and Parcel Corps.
“By becoming independent, we can now put all our efforts into uncovering the indie gems that gamers never knew they needed in their lives,” said Schall.
“We are committed to bringing our players the very best indie titles; not just of the future, but also by helping them discover existing indie masterpieces that have undeservedly flown under the radar in years gone by.
“We are working hard to empower independent developers across the globe, and hope to make some exciting announcements on this front in the coming months.”
Sumo Group, which was wholly acquired by Chinese tech giant Tencent in January 2022, counts Sumo Digital (Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Team Sonic Racing) and The Chinese Room (Dear Esther, Little Orpheus) among its studios.
Last year, Sumo Group laid off 15% of its employees, and earlier this month, it announced that it will no longer pursue work on original IP, instead focusing entirely on work for hire projects.
