adminSecret Mode moved from being part of Sumo Group to operating as an independent publisher, with financial backing from Emona Capital. CEO Ed Blincoe and chief publishing officer James Schall explain how the transition happened, what the investment has enabled and why the company is looking for distinctive games in focused market niches.
Secret Mode’s move to independence
In February 2025, UK-based Sumo Group, owned by Tencent since 2021, said it would focus exclusively on development services for partners. That meant prioritising work such as co-development and no longer making its own games. Previous Sumo Group titles include Crackdown 3 and Sackboy: A Big Adventure.
The change raised questions for Secret Mode, Sumo’s indie publishing business. When the news was shared internally in late 2024, the publisher’s team was unsure where it would fit within Sumo’s new direction or Tencent’s plans for the Western market, Blincoe recalls.
Secret Mode began exploring independence and completed a deal with investment firm Emona Capital in around three months. The first meeting took place in late November 2024. Emona had recently helped Relic Entertainment separate from Sega, and indicated interest in a deal after a meeting of about two hours. Blincoe says the speed of the process was unexpected but helped employees during a difficult period for Sumo. Sumo Group co-founders Carl Cavers and Paul Porter left the company in May 2025.
Choosing an investment partner requires careful checks, particularly when a company is seeking support during a transition. Schall, who worked with Relic while at Sega, contacted people at the studio to ask about their experience with Emona. He says their candid feedback did not raise concerns. Blincoe also valued Emona’s understanding of the video game business, which reduced the need to explain basic industry realities.
Why Emona invested in Secret Mode
Emona said its decision reflected Blincoe and Schall’s sector knowledge and entrepreneurial drive. Schall also points to Secret Mode’s existing catalogue as evidence that the publisher was a viable standalone business. Its releases include Still Wakes The Deep from The Chinese Room, A Little to the Left, Make Way and Loddlenaut.
That catalogue gave the independent company a foundation to build on. Emona’s backing has also helped Secret Mode pursue larger opportunities, including Star Wars: Galactic Racer, developed by UK studio Fuse Games. The studio was founded by former members of Criterion, known for the Burnout series.
Secret Mode has expanded since leaving Sumo. Blincoe says it had just over 40 employees at the time of the separation and has grown to just over 55. Some new roles cover functions previously provided by Sumo, such as HR and IT. Others support areas including product marketing and community management.
Schall says the publisher is also investing in its internal quality assurance team. Having QA staff involved throughout development can help identify issues early and give decision-makers more time to consider whether a game needs changes or a delay. For publishers, this can provide useful insight that may be missed if testing is treated only as a cost to minimise.
Blincoe describes Emona’s support as active but not controlling. The investor wants to understand how the business is progressing, he says, while leaving day-to-day decisions to Secret Mode’s management.
Finding Secret Mode’s identity as a publisher
Secret Mode was established within Sumo in 2020. As an independent company, it has been defining its own working practices and values. One change is that employees across the business are invited to play games when they reach development milestones. Schall says this gives people in different roles a chance to experience the products they help create or sell, and brings a wider range of perspectives into internal discussions.
The publisher’s catalogue spans a variety of genres, from the action RPG Empyreal to the bicycle delivery game Parcel Corps and the cosy café-building game Critter Café. Its upcoming projects include the racing game Star Wars: Galactic Racer, football management deckbuilder Nutmeg! and narrative puzzle game A Storied Life: Tabitha.
Rather than limiting itself to a set of genres, Secret Mode now puts the strength of each individual game at the centre of its selection process. Schall says the team asks why a game needs to exist and looks for a clear creative point of view. For instance, Nutmeg! draws on memories of 1990s football, while A Storied Life: Tabitha tells a personal story about family bereavement.
Authenticity is another consideration. Schall points to Still Wakes The Deep and its distinctive portrayal of 1970s Scotland as an example of a game whose specific setting and voice resonated with players in different countries. For publishers assessing a project, a strong sense of place or perspective can help a game stand out beyond its genre.
Why Secret Mode looks for niche games
Secret Mode sees opportunity in audiences that may be underserved by the volume of releases in the wider market. Schall argues that games with a clear niche can face less direct competition and have a more focused audience to reach. This does not guarantee commercial success, but it can give a project a distinct identity in a crowded marketplace.
Even Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a major licensed project, is intended to serve players seeking something beyond the best-known racing franchises. Schall says the team saw evidence of strong interest in racing games alongside a relatively limited range of releases. Players who enjoy Forza may also be interested in other racing experiences, he argues; enthusiasm for one series does not necessarily rule out another.
By contrast, Secret Mode is cautious about platformers, which Schall considers a crowded category. The practical lesson for developers is to examine both audience demand and the number of competing releases, rather than assuming that a familiar genre will be easy to sell.
The publisher generally wants to see more than a written pitch before signing a game. Schall says a prototype is usually needed, while Blincoe notes that it can be unfinished or at an early “white box” stage. Secret Mode is also interested in projects that have reached a playable demo or are already in Early Access.
Early Access can be a useful route for games that have an audience but need help reaching a full release. Schall describes cases where developers struggle to move from years in Early Access to version 1.0 while managing community expectations. A publishing partner may be able to provide support and a clearer plan for completing and launching the game.
Existing audience interest can help a project, but Schall cautions against relying on Steam wishlist numbers alone. He also looks at community groups and discussion forums. A large wishlist count paired with little or no recent discussion may not provide enough evidence of an active audience. Developers can strengthen a pitch by showing several meaningful signs of engagement, not just one headline metric.
Funding, development timelines and investment
Blincoe says Secret Mode can currently provide up to around £1 million for an unannounced or unreleased game when the developer needs most of its development funded. For projects already in Early Access, backed by a track record or supported by a major licence, Emona can provide substantially more finishing funding, potentially multiple millions. These larger investments still require evidence of traction; a high budget and an idea alone are not enough.
Schall also argues that the industry needs shorter development timelines. A game can take four or five years to move from an initial concept to release, leaving the market and audience expectations open to change during production. Shorter development cycles and earlier testing could help teams learn what players respond to before committing to a larger budget.
He points to options such as reusing assets, making decisions sooner and testing ideas through platforms including Roblox and UEFN. The aim, he says, is to get games into players’ hands earlier and invest further when there is evidence of demand. That approach may also help reduce the risk of spending heavily on content that few players reach or experience.
Emona continues to consider investments and acquisitions in the games sector. Blincoe notes that valuations have shifted since the high-investment period of 2020 and 2021, when some companies were valued very highly. He believes the current market may offer opportunities for investors as some game businesses are now undervalued.
What Secret Mode’s independence means next
Secret Mode’s separation from Sumo Group has given the publisher room to define its own identity, expand its team and pursue projects at different scales. Emona Capital’s support has helped it move beyond the immediate goal of establishing itself as an independent business, while the publisher’s selection strategy focuses on creative conviction, audience evidence and distinctive niches.
For developers approaching a publisher, the company’s comments point to practical priorities: prepare a playable prototype, show why the game is different and provide credible evidence that players are interested. For Secret Mode, the next stage is to turn that approach into a varied portfolio while keeping an eye on budgets and development timelines. The publisher’s independence and focus on niche opportunities will shape how Secret Mode competes in an increasingly crowded games market.
Image credit: Fuse Games/Secret Mode
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is being developed by UK studio Fuse Games. Image credit: Fuse Games/Secret Mode
Nutmeg! is a football management game that leans heavily into 1990s nostalgia. Image credit: Sumo Digital/Secret Mode
A Storied Life: Tabitha sees the player packing away the belongings of a deceased loved one. Image credit: Lab42/Secret Mode
Escape The Backrooms is based on popular creepypasta lore. Image credit: Fancy Games/Blackbird Interactive/Secret Mode
Still Wakes The Deep was created by The Chinese Room, which also gained independence from Sumo Group with backing from Hiro Capital. Image credit: The Chinese Room/Secret Mode
Disclaimer: Lewis Packwood previously wrote the book The Art of Still Wakes The Deep, published by Lost in Cult/Cook and Becker.
