Secret Mode is currently riding a wave of optimism. After parting ways with Sumo Digital and its parent company 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 that the company has experienced "phenomenal growth" over the last 18 months.
He explained that the team had originally drafted a strategic roadmap that extended to 2030, yet they managed to surpass those targets within roughly four months of implementation. Schall also noted that the split from Sumo was relatively straightforward, thanks in part to fresh capital from Emona Capital, and that Tencent proved to be cooperative throughout the transition. "I was amazed at how swiftly the deal was finalized and how positively it unfolded for everyone involved," he said. From Tencent's perspective, the separation made sense as well.
After Tencent acquired Sumo in early 2022, the conglomerate began evaluating the dozens of studios and publishers in its portfolio. "They didn't need eighteen separate publishing arms," Schall recalled, echoing comments from Tencent executive Yong‑yi Zhu, who told GamesIndustry.biz that the group was pruning its holdings to align with its long‑term vision. So what is Secret Mode’s new direction? According to Schall and CEO Ed Blincoe, the publisher is building around two distinct pillars: pure indie titles and higher‑budget, IP‑driven games such as Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
The belief is that investing in quality across both spectrums will help the company cut through an increasingly noisy market. Schall stressed that discoverability is becoming ever more challenging.
"In today’s climate, selling a mediocre game is almost impossible, and even a very good one can struggle to find an audience. There’s no longer a simple playbook; you have to make the right choices and hope luck is on your side," he explained. One of those choices is to back games that have already shown promise but still have untapped potential.
Secret Mode has placed a sizable wager on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for release on October 6. Schall described the pre‑order wishlists as "phenomenal," while Blincoe recalled the first playthrough of the title more than a year ago as "exceptional" and noted that it has only improved since then. Developed by the newly formed UK studio Fuse Games, Galactic Racer was signed by Secret Mode at the end of September 2023 after Schall convinced Emona Capital that the project warranted further investment. "We walked into the room with a clear opportunity and asked for help figuring out the funding structure," Schall said, adding that Emona assisted in shaping the financing plan.
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 lean heavily on co‑op or social play, appealing to a generation that grew up during the pandemic and now spends considerable time on platforms like Twitch. "These games cater to players who are accustomed to being online, interacting with friends in real time, and sharing experiences on streaming services," Schall observed.
"We can either rely on a short‑term viral spike or iterate continuously, adding new content to keep the community engaged over the long haul." Beyond publishing, Secret Mode is also assuming a development role through trusted partners. External studio Blackbird Interactive has been extending "Escape the Backrooms," while the company has launched its own internal development studio in Sheffield to generate additional content for its portfolio. Blincoe said both games now sell a respectable number of units each month, generating enough revenue to fund further development and satisfy a growing player base that constantly demands fresh updates.
This approach reflects a broader industry trend often described as "caretaker development," where third‑party teams take over the stewardship of existing titles after the original creators move on. French studio Evil Empire, for example, recently assumed content production for the hit indie "Brotato," and is actively scouting other games that could benefit from a similar hand‑off. Schall explained that many developers reach a point where they feel creatively stuck, face demanding communities, or simply wish to pursue new projects after achieving financial stability.
Secret Mode positions itself as a partner that can "reset" these creators, allowing them to rediscover their passion while handling the publishing complexities. A case in point is "Wobbledogs," an early‑access title by Tom Astle that had stalled due to limited resources.
Secret Mode stepped in, released the game, and freed Astle to explore entirely new ideas. This illustrates the publisher’s belief in nurturing the long tail of a game’s lifecycle rather than relying solely on a blockbuster launch. Having spent 13 years at Sega, Schall has witnessed numerous titles that didn’t explode on day one but gradually built a loyal audience.
He sees ample opportunity in games that are still in Early Access or that have launched without reaching their full potential. "Sometimes a title simply hasn’t found the right algorithmic push or the appropriate audience segment," he said. "We’ve had projects that started with modest sales and, six months later, turned into highly profitable ventures." Nonetheless, Schall admits that luck still plays a role—often an influencer’s endorsement can catapult a modest title into the spotlight. He identified discoverability as one of the industry’s biggest headaches, noting that algorithm‑driven recommendation systems tend to amplify the same popular titles, making it hard for newcomers to break through.
The old publishing playbook—preview to press, massive launch marketing, then move on—no longer holds sway. Today, a teenager can upload a game to Roblox or itch.io and amass millions of players without any publisher involvement. "These creators often don’t even know what a publisher does, yet they’re achieving massive success and disrupting the traditional model," Schall remarked.
Secret Mode is therefore scouting for opportunities among these emerging, disruptive developers, especially as visual fidelity becomes less of a differentiator. After decades of chasing photorealism, the market is shifting toward fun, distinctive experiences. "We can learn a lot by prioritising enjoyment first," Schall concluded, adding that while visually impressive titles like Star Wars: Galactic Racer will remain important, the company is also open to supporting quirky, 2‑D vector‑graphics games if they deliver fun.
In summary, Secret Mode is building around two contrasting pillars: big‑budget, IP‑heavy projects backed by sizable teams, and small‑scale indie experiments such as "Everything is Crab." The balance between these pillars will shape the publisher’s future trajectory. Schall affirmed that the company remains receptive to larger opportunities, stating, "We’ll run the numbers and decide if it makes sense; size isn’t a deal‑breaker." Blincoe, however, cautions that the firm must first ensure it is a "stable ship" before over‑committing. "We’ll watch how our current slate performs, announce a few more titles over the next months, see how Star Wars does, and then decide the next steps. It’s about walking before we run, and making measured decisions for sustainable growth."