Secret Mode is currently riding a wave of optimism. After parting ways with Sumo Digital—and its ultimate owner Tencent—last year, the newly autonomous UK publisher has been accelerating its growth at a rapid pace. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz conducted at Gamescom, Chief Publishing Officer James Schall highlighted what he described as "phenomenal" expansion over the past 18 months. He explained that the company originally drafted a strategic roadmap that stretched to 2030, yet they managed to exceed those targets within roughly four months of execution.
Schall emphasized that the split from Sumo was relatively straightforward, thanks in large part to fresh capital from Emona Capital, and he praised Tencent for being "very helpful" throughout the transition. "I was stunned by how swiftly the deal was finalized, and how positive the whole experience turned out for everyone involved," he said.
From Tencent’s perspective, the divestiture also made sense. After acquiring Sumo in early 2022, the Chinese conglomerate began evaluating its sprawling portfolio, concluding that it did not need to retain eighteen separate publishing entities. This sentiment mirrors recent comments from Tencent executive Yong‑yi Zhu, who explained that the group is pruning its holdings to align with a longer‑term strategic vision. So, what is Secret Mode’s own plan moving forward?
Schall and CEO Ed Blincoe outlined a two‑pronged approach: they will back "pure indie" projects while simultaneously investing in higher‑budget, IP‑driven games such as Star Wars: Galactic Racer. The belief is that a focus on quality across both spectrums will give the publisher the leverage it needs to cut through an increasingly crowded market.
In today’s environment, discoverability is becoming ever more challenging. Schall noted that it is "almost impossible to sell a mediocre game," and even a "very, very good game" can struggle to find an audience without the right support. "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," he explained. One of those decisions involves allocating resources to titles that have already demonstrated some traction but still possess untapped potential. Secret Mode has placed a substantial bet on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for release on 6 October.
Schall described the game's wish‑list numbers as "phenomenal," while Blincoe recalled the first play‑through over a year ago as "exceptional," noting that the game has only improved since then. Developed by the newly formed UK studio Fuse Games, the title was signed by Secret Mode at the end of September last year after convincing Emona Capital that it warranted further investment.
The publisher’s other high‑budget ventures take a slightly different shape. Secret Mode now handles publishing for Fancy Games' "Escape the Backrooms," which entered Early Access in 2022, and for Anegar Games' 2024 release "Chained Together." Schall argues that cooperative experiences like these—what he calls "friends‑lop" titles—appeal to a generation that grew up during the pandemic, spending countless hours on Twitch and other live‑stream platforms.
"You can either hope a game goes viral for a few weeks, or you can iterate on it, add new content, and keep the community engaged for the long haul," he said. Blincoe added that Secret Mode isn’t just publishing these games; it is also overseeing their ongoing development through trusted external partners. Blackbird Interactive, for example, has been extending "Escape the Backrooms" for some time.
Moreover, Secret Mode has launched its own internal development studio in Sheffield, which will produce additional content for these titles. Both games are reportedly selling a respectable number of units each month, generating enough revenue to fund their own updates.
New players keep arriving, and existing fans are clamoring for fresh material, prompting the publisher to double‑down on post‑launch support. This model—sometimes referred to as "caretaker development"—has been gaining traction across the industry. It sees third‑party studios taking over the stewardship of existing games when original developers move on, while the titles themselves remain viable and profitable.
French studio Evil Empire, for instance, recently assumed content creation duties for Blobfish’s hit "Brotato" and is actively scouting additional projects to support. Schall sees a wealth of opportunity among developers whose early successes have left them at a crossroads. Some creators feel boxed in by community expectations, others are financially comfortable and wish to explore new ideas, and a few simply want to step back from day‑to‑day development. Secret Mode positions itself as a partner that can "reset" these creators, giving them space to rediscover their passion while handling the publishing and business side of things.
He cites the case of "Wobbledogs," a game that was stuck in Early Access with only a small team. Secret Mode stepped in, released the title, and freed the original creator to pursue entirely new projects. The focus has shifted from a one‑off launch splash to nurturing a game's "long tail." Schall, who spent 13 years at Sega, recalls numerous titles that never peaked on day one but gradually built sizable audiences over months or years.
He believes many games simply haven’t found the right algorithmic exposure yet, and that a modest launch can evolve into a highly profitable venture after six months or more. Nevertheless, discoverability remains a daunting hurdle. Schall admits that luck—perhaps a well‑timed influencer shout‑out—can make a decisive difference. He worries that algorithm‑driven recommendation systems tend to funnel everyone toward the same popular experiences, making it hard for niche or innovative games to break through.
This uncertainty is something that keeps him awake at night. The old publishing playbook—preview the game to the press, pour money into a launch marketing blitz, then move on—no longer holds true. Schall points out that a teenager can now upload a game to Roblox or itch.io and amass millions of players without any publisher involvement. "They don’t even know what a publisher is, yet they’re wildly successful developers," he observes, noting how these creators are reshaping the industry.
Secret Mode therefore aims to keep an eye on these emerging, disruptive projects, especially as visual fidelity ceases to be the primary selling point. After decades of chasing photorealism, the market is now gravitating toward fun, distinctive experiences—whether that’s a vector‑graphics 2D shooter or a quirky indie adventure. Schall believes the industry can learn a great deal by prioritizing enjoyment first.
While blockbuster titles like Star Wars: Galactic Racer will continue to be a cornerstone of Secret Mode’s portfolio, the publisher is equally open to backing smaller, delight‑driven games. As Schall puts it, "There will be experiences that could be a simple 2D mad‑cap game, but if it’s fun, we’ll consider it." In summary, Secret Mode is pursuing two very different pillars: big‑budget, IP‑rich productions on one side, and modest indie experiments on the other. The balance between these approaches will likely shape the company’s trajectory in the coming years.
Schall says the firm remains receptive to larger opportunities, promising to run the numbers before committing. Blincoe, however, cautions that the company must first prove its own stability before over‑extending. "We’ll see how the games we’ve signed perform, announce a few more titles over the next months, watch Star Wars unfold, and then decide how to move forward," he concludes.