Sumo Group launches Secret Mode to publish in-house and indie projects

Sumo Group has launched a new publishing division called Secret Mode to help bring smaller projects to market. 

The UK company, which is the owner of Sackboy: A Big Adventure developer Sumo Digital and other studios, said it wants to forge lasting partnerships and support fresh projects from independent developers and its own internal studios. 

Sega's former VP of digital distribution, James Schall, will lead Secret Mode as director of publishing. He'll be joined by head of marketing Derek Seklecki, who previously worked at Sega Europe as senior marketing manager. 

"We want to break down the stereotypical publisher-developer relationship and create genuine lasting partnerships," commented Schall in a press release. "Secret Mode is focusing on finding those smaller gems - smart, creative games that we wished we’d developed ourselves." 

Sumo Group chief operating officer Paul Porter said the company wanted to branch out after previously publishing in-house projects like Snake Pass, and described Secret Mode as a "natural progression" of that process. 

"Being developers ourselves, we know great teams want to focus on making the best game possible – without distractions," added Porter. "Secret Mode knows how to nurture developer talent, providing the resources and creativity to help make their creations fly."

The news comes after Sumo Group went on something of a spending spree, with the company having acquired a number of studios including PixelAnt Games, Pipeworks, and Lab 42 over the past year.