adminThe Secret Mode Sheffield studio is a new in-house development team set up to support games in the publisher’s portfolio. It will initially work on Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, with plans to expand from three staff members to around 20 over the next twelve months.
Image credit: Secret Mode
Why Secret Mode opened a Sheffield studio
The studio was established after Dan Secker joined Secret Mode as vice president of technology and operations in November 2025. He identified an opportunity to build internal development capacity rather than rely exclusively on external teams for ongoing game support.
Secker, who has spent 28 years in game development, said the new team will create dedicated processes for updating content. Its first priority is to support the two games with fresh content and improvements, helping maintain player interest and bring new audiences into their communities.
Dan Secker | Image credit: Secret Mode
Plans for Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together
Both games have active communities, and players have been asking for additional levels and other content. The Sheffield team may work on new stages, cosmetic features and platform adaptations. These are areas under consideration, rather than confirmed release plans.
- Escape the Backrooms: The studio will contribute additional content and support for the game.
- Chained Together: The game is currently available on Steam. Secret Mode is considering other platforms, including Xbox, PS5 and potentially Switch 2.
Secret Mode operates both titles; it has not acquired them. The publisher’s approach is to focus first on supporting its existing portfolio. Secker said the team may eventually take on more games as the portfolio grows, but creating new, wholly owned intellectual property is not the studio’s current objective.
For developers, working on established games can mean that updates reach an existing player community sooner than projects with lengthy development cycles. The team’s initial focus on active titles is intended to make its work visible to players as it progresses.
University links and local talent
Sheffield was chosen for its local talent pool and its connections to universities. Secret Mode plans to maintain relationships with the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham and Sheffield Hallam University. Jake Habgood, the studio’s technical development director, has lectured at these institutions and previously led Sheffield Hallam’s Steel Minions game studio.
Jake Habgood | Image credit: Secret Mode
Habgood also worked on education partnerships at Sumo Digital, including the Sumo Academy, whose training programme produced the football management game Nutmeg. Secret Mode Sheffield aims to offer students and early-career developers opportunities to meet industry professionals, learn and receive mentoring.
Nutmeg! originated in Sumo’s academic training program, Sumo Academy. | Image credit: Sumo Digital/Secret Mode
How the studio will work
Secret Mode Sheffield staff are expected to work from the office four days a week. Secker and Habgood say that being together can make informal knowledge-sharing and quick problem-solving easier. In-person conversations may also help colleagues spot challenges and offer support without waiting for a scheduled online meeting.
Habgood pointed to the team’s experience on Nutmeg as an example of how close collaboration can support an agile approach. Secret Mode hopes to bring similar ways of working to updates for its current games.
Long-term ambitions for Secret Mode Sheffield studio
Over time, Secker hopes the studio will become a technical centre of excellence that supports multiple titles and potentially assists external development partners. He also sees a possibility of creating a small, community-focused original game in the future, if the studio proves its model and circumstances allow.
For now, the priority is to add development expertise to Secret Mode’s publishing work and improve support for existing games. The Secret Mode Sheffield studio will begin with Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, with future growth dependent on how the team and its portfolio develop.
Correction: Secret Mode operates Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, but has not acquired them.
