After nearly seven years together, UK studio The Chinese Room has parted ways with its parent company, Sumo Digital.
The well-renowned studio behind titles like Everyone Has Gone to The Rapture, Little Orpheus and most recently Still Wakes the Deep announced a management buyout from Sumo Digital on July 21st. This means that the Brighton-based game development studio has once more become independent.
The studio has said that in the future, they hope to work on both their original games alongside existing work with partners’ IP, like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 with Paradox Interactive.
The buyout was instigated by Sumo Group’s recent announcement to refocus itself on development services rather than original projects.
Separating from Sumo Digital has led to a few ramifications for The Chinese Room.
Ed Daly, studio director, confirmed that layoffs at the company were at least partially influenced by the direction the studio was taking. In an interview with GameIndustry.biz, Daly said, “Yes, following the divestment process a number of roles were made redundant”. However, no further layoffs are planned in the studio’s future.
To accommodate its independent status, the studio also went through some internal changes to leadership, with John McCormack, game director for Still Wakes The Deep, becoming studio creative director and Ross Manton, senior executive producer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, becoming production director.
With two ongoing original IP projects and recently winning three BAFTAs for Still Wakes the Deep, including New Intellectual Property, Daly states that “this management buyout allows us to scratch the creative itch”.
The Chinese Room’s next project, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, is set to release in October.
Words by George Bell
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