Secret Mode is now an independent publisher

Secret Mode has gone independent following a buyout by Ed Blincoe, James Schall and Emona Capital LLP for an undisclosed sum.

Secret Mode was founded as part of the Sumo Group back in 2020, and quickly built up a positive reputation in PC and console publishing for indies. Its game roster features successful and acclaimed titles across a variety of genres, including recent cult hits like Still Wakes the Deep and A Little to the Left.

It will continue to operate as an independent publisher, and will retain its focus on supporting indie PC and console games going forward, under its existing leadership.

Emona Capital is a financial investor that is no stranger to the video game industry, having worked with studios like Relic Entertainment and Amber Studio in the past. Secret Mode is its first venture into funding game publishing.

“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,” said Blincoe. “I also want to express our gratitude to Sumo not only for believing in Secret Mode’s original vision and overseeing our start-up years, but for granting us this opportunity to become a fully independent entity.”

“By becoming independent, we can now put all our efforts into uncovering the indie gems that gamers never knew they needed in their lives,” added Schall. “We are committed to bringing our players the very best indie titles; not just of the future, but also by helping them discover existing indie masterpieces that have undeservedly flown under the radar in years gone by. We are working hard to empower independent developers across the globe, and hope to make some exciting announcements on this front in the coming months.”

“Secret Mode has made great waves in its formative years as a publisher of independent games,” said Dominik Dolenec, Managing Partner at Emona Capital. “We look forward to supporting Secret Mode’s mission within the independent games sector across PC and consoles.”

“We are excited to build upon our commitment in the gaming ecosystem by investing in Secret Mode,” added Michael Moriarty, Partner at Emona Capital. “We are excited to build upon our commitment in the gaming ecosystem. This partnership strengthens our portfolio and adds skills and experience that complement our existing studios.”