Acclaimed British indie studio The Chinese Room has regained its independence from its former parent company, Sumo Digital.
The developer, which is best known for its indie hits Still Wakes the Deep, Dear Esther, and Everybody’s Gone to Rapture, has cut ties from Sumo after completing a management buyout, it confirmed to IGN.
The Chinese Room will now be run as an independent studio helmed by director Ed Daly, following a deal made possible by venture capital firm Hiro Capital.
The Chinese Room now has two new IPs in the works, it revealed today, alongside Paradox Interactive’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Before today’s buyout, Sumo had signalled its intention to turn The Chinese Room into a support studio.
“This management buyout allows us to scratch the creative itch of continuing to work on new, original intellectual property, but also to partner with other studios on other projects when they fit in with our vision,” Daly said. “This is what we are doing and we want to carry on doing it, so we’re happy to carry on in this vein.”
Spike Laurie, a partner at Hiro Capital, added: “The Chinese Room is a huge British success story that has rightly been recognised as a unique creative force capable of competing on the world stage.”
“From hiring British people to making games set in the UK, they’ve been one of our foremost creative studios and now they are once again in charge of their own destiny while remaining British.
“We are at risk of overlooking these creative gems and letting them be sold to overseas corporations,” Laurie continued. “That is a travesty for the $5.5 billion British gaming industry which has a world-renowned reputation. We need to nurture this talent and support it through difficult times, because it is one of our leading creative exports.”