Secret Mode, the UK indie publisher behind Still Wakes the Deep and A Little to the Left, has suffered a “small number” of jobs losses as a result of its sale, Eurogamer can confirm.
Yesterday, it was announced that Secret Mode had been acquired by Emona Capital, a financial investment firm that also owns Company Heroes studio Relic Entertainment.
The move follows last month’s announcement by Sumo Digital, Secret Mode’s previous owner, that it would refocus on providing “development services for partners” rather than continuing to create its own IP, in order to balance “creative ambitions and commercial realities”. At the time, it said this move would “unavoidably… have an impact on our studios and people”.
In a press release this week, Secret Mode said it would now continue under Emona Capital, with its focus remaining on supporting PC and console indie games. The company’s current bosses, Ed Blincoe and James Schall, will also remain at the firm.
“Secret Mode is deeply passionate about the creativity and innovation within the indie space, and so we are thrilled to be partnering with Emona Capital and to fully focus on the independent publishing scene,” Blincoe said in a statement.
“I also want to express our gratitude to Sumo not only for believing in Secret Mode’s original vision and overseeing our startup years, but for granting us this opportunity to become a fully independent entity.”
This week, several former Secret Mode team members have said they had now been made redundant and were looking for work, including staff in PR and marketing roles.
Speaking to Eurogamer, a Secret Mode spokesperson confirmed “a small number of roles” were impacted by the sale, as the publisher adjusted its unannounced line-up of games due for launch across the remainder of this year.
The Chinese Room, which developed Still Wakes the Deep as well as the acclaimed Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, currently remains owned by Sumo Digital.
