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Still Wakes the Deep developer The Chinese Room goes independent

The developer has split from Sumo Digital in a management buyout.
Alex Hopley Editor UK 21 July 2025

The Chinese Room has announced its departure from Sumo Digital, and will now be going forward as an independent studio. This comes after fears that the Still Wakes the Deep developer would be swallowed up by another agency or firm.

In a statement given to IGN, The Chinese Room studio director Ed Daly said that the deal will allow The Chinese Room to further its creative goals. "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," he 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."

Still Wakes the Deep stood out as a fresh horror experience when it released last year. Now, the main task ahead for The Chinese Room is to complete Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, a sequel to the cult classic 2004 RPG that has been moved from developer to developer as studios struggle to bring it to life.

Editor UK Alex Hopley covered the video game industry for Gamereactor, from new announcements and launches to the business behind them. He also wrote on tech, film and entertainment, and his coverage wasn't tied to any one region.
Full profile Gamereactor author since 2023 · 9,411 published articles
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