Emona Capital LLP has successfully acquired Secret Mode, with Ed Blincoe and James Schall leading this new phase of the publisher. The partnership marks Emona's entry into the game publishing sector, strengthening its commitment to the gaming industry and reinforcing its investment portfolio.

Founded in 2020 as part of Sumo, the publisher quickly stood out in the PC and console publishing scene. Its work has been recognized by the industry, including the UKIE Best UK Publisher Award in 2024 and, more recently, the Best Influencer Marketing Award at the Debug Indie Game Awards. Its catalog includes critically acclaimed and award-winning titles such as Still Wakes the Deep, A Little to the Left, Wobbledogs, and Eternal Threads.

Emona Capital is a financial investor with vast experience in the gaming sector, with renowned studios in its portfolio, including Relic Entertainment and Amber Studio. The acquisition reinforces its commitment to the gaming ecosystem, expanding its activities beyond development and into independent publishing.

With this new partnership, the publisher will now operate independently, maintaining its focus on supporting indie games for PC and consoles. The company’s current leadership, consisting of Ed Blincoe and James Schall, will remain at the helm with Emona’s full backing, ensuring continuity in its vision and mission.

Ed Blincoe highlighted the importance of the transition, expressing excitement about deepening the company’s role in the indie scene. He also expressed gratitude to Sumo for supporting the company in its early years, allowing it to now forge its own path. “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 emphasized that this new phase will allow the company to dedicate itself entirely to discovering true indie gems, including both upcoming releases and overlooked titles from past years. “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, highlighted the publisher’s progress in recent years and reaffirmed Emona’s commitment to supporting its mission within the independent gaming sector. Michael Moriarty, also a partner at Emona, celebrated the expansion of the company’s role in the gaming ecosystem, emphasizing that the partnership complements the skills and experience of the studios already within the group’s portfolio.