Secret Mode is currently riding a wave of optimism. After parting ways with Sumo Digital and its parent company Tencent last year, the newly independent UK publisher has been moving at a rapid pace. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz conducted at Gamescom, Chief Publishing Officer James Schall highlighted the "phenomenal growth" the company has experienced over the past eighteen months. He explained that the team had originally drafted a strategic roadmap extending to 2030, only to surpass those milestones within roughly four months.
Schall emphasized that the split from Sumo was relatively straightforward, thanks in large part to backing from Emona Capital, and that Tencent proved "very helpful" throughout the transition. "I was amazed at how quickly the deal was finalized and how positive the whole process was for everyone involved," he noted.
From Tencent's perspective, the separation made sense as well. After acquiring Sumo in early 2022, the Chinese conglomerate began evaluating its sprawling portfolio of subsidiaries. As Schall observed, "Tencent didn’t need eighteen separate publishers." This aligns with comments made earlier by Tencent executive Yong‑yi Zhu, who explained that the firm is pruning its holdings to focus on companies that fit its long‑term vision. So what is Secret Mode’s new direction?
According to Schall and CEO Ed Blincoe, the publisher is building its future around two distinct pillars. The first pillar focuses on "pure indie" titles—small‑scale, creatively driven games that often emerge from passionate solo developers or tiny teams. The second pillar targets higher‑budget, IP‑backed projects such as the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
The belief is that investing in quality across both spectrums will enable the company to cut through an increasingly noisy market. Schall warned that discoverability has become a major obstacle for developers. "In today’s climate, selling a mediocre game is nearly impossible, and even a very good game can struggle to find an audience," he said.
"There is no longer a simple playbook; you have to make the right choices and hope luck is on your side." One of those choices has been to place a sizeable bet on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for release on October 6. Schall described the game's wish‑list numbers as "phenomenal," while Blincoe recalled playing the early build more than a year ago and finding it "exceptional"—a quality that, according to him, has only improved with time.
The title is being developed by Fuse Games, a new UK studio, and Secret Mode secured the publishing rights at the end of September last year after convincing Emona Capital of the project's potential. "We walked in with the opportunity and worked with Emona to figure out the financing," Schall explained. The publisher’s other high‑budget bets differ in nature.
Secret Mode has taken on publishing duties for Fancy Games’ Escape the Backrooms, which launched in Early Access in 2022, and for Anegar Games’ 2024 release Chained Together. Both titles are cooperative, multiplayer experiences that appeal to a demographic that grew up during the COVID‑19 pandemic and now spends a great deal of time on platforms like Twitch. "These players are used to interacting online with friends, so we can either rely on a short‑lived viral spike or keep iterating to retain them long‑term," Schall said.
Beyond publishing, Secret Mode is also stepping into development through trusted partners. External studio Blackbird Interactive has been working on Escape the Backrooms for some time, and the company has launched its own internal development studio in Sheffield to create additional content for its portfolio. Blincoe noted that both games are generating a steady stream of sales each month, enough to fund their own development cycles.
"New players keep joining, and existing communities demand fresh content, so we aim to deliver that," he added. This approach reflects a broader industry trend sometimes called "caretaker development," where a publisher or third‑party studio assumes responsibility for an existing title when the original creators move on. French studio Evil Empire, for example, recently began handling post‑launch content for the hit game Brotato, and is actively seeking other titles to support. Schall sees many opportunities among developers who have achieved early success but feel constrained—whether by creative fatigue, demanding communities, or a desire to pursue new projects after reaching financial comfort.
Secret Mode positions itself as a partner that can "reset" these creators, allowing them to rediscover their passion while the publisher handles the business side. He cited the case of Wobbledogs, a game by Tom Astle that was stuck in Early Access with only a handful of developers.
"We stepped in, released it, and gave him the freedom to work on something completely different," Schall recounted. The emphasis is shifting from a one‑off launch splash to nurturing a long‑tail audience. Schall, who spent thirteen years at Sega, observed that many games don’t peak on day one but instead build momentum over months or years.
"Algorithms can hide a great game, but once the right audience discovers it—sometimes through an influencer—it can become highly profitable after six months," he explained. Nevertheless, discoverability remains a persistent headache.
Schall admitted that luck often plays a role, and he stays up at night pondering how to break the algorithmic echo chamber that pushes the same popular titles repeatedly. The old playbook—press previews, massive launch marketing, then move on—no longer guarantees success. Today, a teenager can publish a game on Roblox or itch.io and attract millions without any publisher involvement.
Secret Mode therefore watches for "young, disruptive" projects that prioritize fun over photorealistic graphics. Schall argued that after years of chasing visual fidelity, the market is now craving experiences with distinctive identity and playful mechanics, whether they are high‑budget 3D spectacles like Star Wars: Galactic Racer or simple 2D vector‑graphic experiments.
In summary, Secret Mode is betting on two very different pillars: big‑IP, high‑budget productions on one side, and modest indie experiments on the other. The company remains open to larger opportunities, but both Schall and Blincoe stress the need to keep the business "a stable ship" before over‑extending. As they await the performance of upcoming releases—including the crucial Star Wars title—they plan to evaluate results before charting the next phase of growth.