Ex-Sumo Group publisher Secret Mode has announced that it will split from the group and go independent, having secured the backing of investment firm Emona Capital.
As spotted by Game Developer, Secret Mode execs James Schall and Ed Blincoe led the buyout alongside Emona, and the goal is to focus on discovering and publishing indie games for PC and console without the backing of former owner Sumo Group.
Although the publisher technically has significant investment from Emona, it will remain entirely independent from a business perspective, with Schall and Blincoe continuing to lead the company.
Schall says that becoming independent will allow Secret Mode to put "all [its] efforts into uncovering the indie gems that gamers never knew they needed in their lives".
He goes on to say that the studio is "committed to bringing [its] players the very best indie titles", but not just the ones being released in the future; Schall also says the mission is to help people "discover existing indie masterpieces that have undeservedly flown under the radar".
This news comes after Sumo Group, Secret Mode's former owner, announced it would lay off a number of staff and refocus on support and work-for-hire projects rather than developing its own IP.
That move doesn't affect anything Sumo Digital, which is the development wing of Sumo Group, already has in the pipeline, so you can rest easy; there shouldn't be any more delays to Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 as a result of this shakeup.
As Game Developer points out, Secret Mode isn't Emona's first gaming industry investment; the company has also invested in the likes of Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, which also went independent last year (a decision which preceded Relic's own round of layoffs, sadly).
As for Secret Mode itself, it's not entirely clear what's next for the publisher, although Schall says that he and the studio "hope to make some exciting announcements" regarding their future plans "in the coming months".
