Emona Capital completes acquisition of UK publisher Secret Mode
Emona Capital LLP has joined forces with Ed Blincoe and James Schall to successfully acquire Secret Mode.
Originally established as part of Sumo in 2020, Secret Mode has rapidly gained recognition for its positive approach to PC and console publishing. The company was honored as the Best UK Publisher at the 2024 UKIE Awards and recently won the Best Influencer Marketing Award at the Debug Indie Game Awards. Its diverse portfolio includes critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and award-winning titles such as Still Wakes the Deep (hear the GOCast discuss this game here), A Little to the Left, Wobbledogs, and Eternal Threads.
Emona Capital, a financial investor with significant expertise in the gaming sector, has a track record of supporting globally recognized PC and console studios like Relic Entertainment and Amber Studio. The acquisition of Secret Mode marks its first venture into game publishing, reinforcing its broader commitment to the gaming industry.
With Emona Capital’s backing, Secret Mode will continue to operate as an independent publisher dedicated to supporting indie PC and console games. Existing leadership, led by Ed Blincoe and James Schall, will remain in place, guiding the company into its next chapter.
Quotes From the Important Players
Ed Blincoe at Secret Mode said: “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. 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.”
James Schall at Secret Mode said: “By becoming independent, we can now put all our efforts into uncovering the indie gems that gamers never knew they needed in their lives. 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.”
Dominik Dolenec, Managing Partner at Emona Capital said: “Secret Mode has made great waves in its formative years as a publisher of independent games. We look forward to supporting Secret Mode’s mission within the independent games sector across PC and consoles.”
Michael Moriarty, Partner at Emona Capital said: “We are excited to build upon our commitment in the gaming ecosystem by investing in Secret Mode. This partnership strengthens our portfolio and adds skills and experience that complement our existing studios.”
My Thoughts
Before – they were publishing great games. Now – they will publish great games and have better support while making the parent company stronger for other gaming studios. Sounds like a win/win! Still Wakes The Deep was in my top 10 of 2024, so I am really excited to see where they go next.
