Secret Mode is currently riding a wave of optimism. After disentangling itself from Sumo Digital and its parent company Tencent last year, the newly independent UK publisher has entered a period of rapid expansion. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom, Chief Publishing Officer James Schall highlighted "phenomenal growth" over the past 18 months. He explained that the company had drafted a strategic roadmap extending to 2030, only to smash those targets within the first four months of execution.
Schall emphasized that the split from Sumo was surprisingly straightforward, thanks in part to fresh capital from Emona Capital and a cooperative attitude from Tencent. "The speed at which the deal was closed and the positivity of the whole process exceeded my expectations," he remarked. Tencent, which acquired Sumo in early 2022, was in the midst of streamlining its sprawling portfolio and decided it did not need to retain eighteen separate publishing entities.
This aligns with recent comments from Tencent executive Yong‑yi Zhu, who noted the firm is pruning its holdings to focus on long‑term strategic fits. With the corporate restructuring settled, Secret Mode has turned its attention to a two‑pronged publishing model. As Schall and CEO Ed Blincoe describe, the firm is simultaneously backing "pure indie" projects while also investing in higher‑budget games anchored by recognizable intellectual property, exemplified by the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Racer. The rationale is simple: in a market where discoverability is increasingly opaque, even an excellent game can struggle to find an audience.
"There is no easy answer anymore, there’s no kind of playbook. You just have to try and make yourself lucky by making the right decisions," Schall said. Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for an October 6 launch, is a flagship example of the high‑budget pillar. Schall noted that pre‑order wishlists are "phenomenal," and Blincoe added that the game impressed them from the first play‑through twelve months ago and has only improved since.
Developed by the new UK studio Fuse Games, Secret Mode secured publishing rights at the end of September last year after persuading Emona Capital of the project's potential. "We walked in and said we have this opportunity, we need to figure out how to fund it. They helped us map out the financing," Schall explained.
The other side of the strategy focuses on mid‑tier, co‑op experiences that thrive on online community engagement. Secret Mode has taken on publishing duties for Fancy Games' Escape the Backrooms and Anegar Games' Chained Together, both of which appeal to players who grew up during the pandemic and are accustomed to social platforms like Twitch.
Schall observed that these titles can either enjoy a brief viral surge or be nurtured over time with regular updates, keeping players within the ecosystem. To support this ongoing content pipeline, Secret Mode is leveraging external partners such as Blackbird Interactive, which has been extending Escape the Backrooms, while also establishing an internal development studio in Sheffield.
Blincoe explained that this studio will generate new content for the existing titles, ensuring a steady flow of updates that keep both new and veteran players engaged. He noted that both games consistently sell a respectable number of units each month, generating enough revenue to fund their own development cycles.
This approach mirrors a broader industry trend often described as "caretaker development," where a publisher steps in to sustain and evolve a title after its original creators move on. French studio Evil Empire, for instance, recently assumed content development for the popular game Brotato, seeking additional projects to support.
Schall highlighted that many developers reach a crossroads after achieving modest financial success: they may feel creatively constrained, face demanding communities, or simply want to pursue new ideas. Secret Mode positions itself as a reset button, offering publishing expertise and access to seasoned partners so developers can refocus on the creative side.
He cited the case of Wobbledogs, an early‑access project by Tom Astle that was stuck due to limited resources. Secret Mode stepped in, released the game, and gave Astle the freedom to explore new concepts. The emphasis on the "long tail"—games that grow gradually rather than exploding on day one—is a cornerstone of Secret Mode's philosophy.
Schall, a former Sega veteran, has witnessed numerous titles that built audiences over months or years. He believes that discoverability remains the industry's biggest hurdle, often hinging on algorithmic quirks or influencer attention. "Sometimes it comes down to luck, perhaps an influencer picks up the game. That uncertainty keeps me up at night," he admitted.
Traditional publishing playbooks—press previews, massive launch marketing, then moving on—are losing relevance. Schall pointed out that teenagers can now publish on platforms like Roblox or itch.io and amass millions of players without any publisher involvement. These creators often lack even basic business infrastructure yet are reshaping the market.
Looking ahead, Secret Mode intends to keep an eye on emerging, disruptive creators whose games prioritize fun over photorealistic graphics. Schall argued that after years of chasing visual fidelity, the industry is ready for experiences that stand out through gameplay and personality, whether they are vector‑graphics 2D titles or quirky indie experiments. In summary, Secret Mode is betting on two distinct pillars: big‑budget, IP‑driven spectacles such as Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and lean, community‑focused indie projects like Everything is Crab.
The company remains open to larger opportunities, promising to run the numbers before committing, but cautions that stability must come first. As Blincoe put it, "We’ll see how the games we’ve signed perform, make more announcements over the next months, and then decide how far to push forward after we’ve walked past Star Wars and secured a stable ship."