"There is no easy answer anymore, there's no kind of playbook" – Secret Mode is hedging its bets with two very different pillars

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Secret Mode is using its post-Sumo independence to push a two-pillar publishing strategy: small indie titles on one side, and larger, already-proven games on the other. Chief publishing officer James Schall says the company’s growth has been strong enough that a 2030 business plan was beaten within months, helped by a clean split from Sumo Digital and backing from Emona Capital.

The clearest high-budget bet is Star Wars: Galactic Racer, due October 6, which Secret Mode describes as having exceptional wishlist momentum. The publisher is also extending the lives of Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, both of which already generate enough revenue to fund ongoing development. In practice, that means Secret Mode is not just publishing these games, but helping steer content updates through external partners and its new internal studio in Sheffield.

That approach fits a broader shift toward what Schall calls “caretaker development”: stepping in when original teams want to move on, while keeping successful games alive for a long tail. He argues that the old launch-and-forget playbook no longer works in a market where algorithms, streamers, and community expectations can make or break visibility. For developers, the takeaway is obvious: if a game has an audience, there may be room to grow it well beyond the first release window.