Since cutting ties with Sumo Digital and its parent company Tencent last year, Secret Mode has been riding a wave of optimism. The newly independent UK publisher reports that it has experienced "phenomenal growth" over the past eighteen months, a claim backed by the numbers the team compiled in a business plan that was originally intended to stretch to 2030 but was reportedly achieved in just four months. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom, chief publishing officer James Schall explained that the separation was facilitated by a fresh injection of capital from Emona Capital and that Tencent proved cooperative throughout the process. "I couldn't believe how quickly the deal was done to extricate us from Sumo, and how positive that experience has been for everyone," Schall said.
The split made strategic sense for both parties. After Tencent acquired Sumo in early 2022, the Chinese conglomerate began streamlining its portfolio, asking itself whether it needed "18 different publishers" under its umbrella.
This aligns with comments from Tencent executive Yong‑yi Zhu, who told GamesIndustry.biz that the firm is actively pruning its holdings to focus on companies that match its long‑term vision. Secret Mode’s own roadmap now rests on two distinct pillars. As Schall and CEO Ed Blincoe described, the publisher is simultaneously courting "pure indie" projects while also backing higher‑budget, IP‑driven titles such as Star Wars: Galactic Racer. The logic behind this dual approach is simple: in an environment where discoverability is increasingly difficult, even a "very, very good" 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 observed. One of those decisions is to place a sizable bet on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for release on 6 October. Schall noted that the game’s wish‑list numbers are "phenomenal," and Blincoe added that the title impressed the team when they first played it over a year ago and has only improved since.
Developed by the newly formed UK studio Fuse Games, the project was signed at the end of September 2022 after Secret Mode convinced Emona Capital that it was a worthwhile investment. "We walked through the door and said we have this opportunity, we need to figure out how we can possibly fund it: they helped us find out how to fund it," Schall explained. The publisher’s high‑budget bets are not limited to blockbuster IPs. Secret Mode has also taken on publishing duties for Fancy Games' "Escape the Backrooms" and Anegar Games' "Chained Together," both of which originated in early‑access or modest releases.
Schall argues that co‑op or "friends‑lop" games appeal to a generation that grew up during the COVID‑19 pandemic, a cohort accustomed to streaming on Twitch and playing together online. "They grew up during COVID, they're used to interacting on Twitch, and that's where they're hanging out with their mates," he said. "You can either hope it goes viral for a few weeks, or you can iterate, add new content, and keep the community engaged over the long term." To support these titles, Secret Mode is adopting a hybrid development model.
While external partners such as Blackbird Interactive have been tasked with extending "Escape the Backrooms," the company also launched its own internal studio in Sheffield. This studio is intended to produce additional content for the games under its wing, ensuring a steady flow of updates that keep players invested. Blincoe noted that both games are already selling a respectable number of units each month, generating enough revenue to fund their ongoing development. "New players are coming in and wanting more, and the existing community wants more content as well," he said.
This approach mirrors a broader industry trend sometimes called "caretaker development," where a publisher or third‑party studio assumes stewardship of an existing title after the original developers move on. French studio Evil Empire, for example, recently took over post‑launch content for the hit game "Brotato," and is actively scouting other titles that could benefit from similar support. Schall believes there is a sizable market of developers whose games have found a niche but are hampered by limited resources, creative fatigue, or a desire to pursue new projects.
Secret Mode positions itself as a partner that can help these creators reset, regain passion for their work, and handle the publishing side of the business. He cited the case of "Wobbledogs," a game created by Tom Astle that was stuck in early access with only a handful of developers.
Secret Mode stepped in, released the title, and freed Astle to explore entirely new ideas. The emphasis on the "long tail" rather than a single, explosive launch is a recurring theme in Schall’s philosophy.
After 13 years at Sega, he observed many games that never peaked on day one but gradually built a loyal audience over months or years. "Discoverability is one of the biggest challenges this industry faces," he admitted, noting that algorithms often push similar content to the same users, making it hard for unique experiences to break through.
Occasionally, luck—such as an influencer spotlight—can tip the scales, but Schall says that reliance on serendipity keeps him up at night. Traditional publishing playbooks—press previews, massive launch marketing, then moving on—are losing relevance.
Today, a teenager can upload a game to Roblox or itch.io and attract millions without any publisher involvement. Schall argues that this democratization forces publishers to look for opportunities among "young, new, disruptive games" where visual fidelity is no longer the primary selling point.
The industry has chased photorealism for decades, but now players are craving fun and distinct identity. "I think as an industry we can learn a lot about that by finding our way to the fun first," he said. While visually spectacular projects like Star Wars: Galactic Racer will continue to have a place, Secret Mode is also open to supporting smaller, stylistically different experiences—perhaps a vector‑graphics, 2D madness that prioritizes enjoyment over technical prowess. The two‑pillar strategy thus spans massive IP‑driven productions on one side and tiny indie experiments like "Everything is Crab" on the other.
It remains to be seen which pillar will dominate the company’s future revenue streams. Both Schall and Blincoe stress prudence. The publisher remains receptive to larger titles if the numbers make sense, but they also recognize the need to keep the company "a stable ship" before over‑committing. "Let's see how the games that we've signed go," Blincoe said.
"We've got some more announcements coming up over the next few months to next year. And then let's see where we get to.
Let's see how Star Wars goes. Let's not run before we can walk." In summary, Secret Mode is navigating a rapidly shifting market by hedging its bets across two very different types of games.
By combining high‑budget IP projects with low‑cost indie ventures, and by offering development support to existing titles, the publisher hopes to carve out a sustainable niche in an industry where the old playbook no longer works. The coming months will reveal whether this dual‑pillar approach can deliver the stability and growth the team envisions.