After seven years, Still Wakes the Deep and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 studio The Chinese Room is going independent once more.
The developer reveals as much in a new announcement to IGN, describing its separation from former parent company, Sumo Digital. The Chinese Room first became a subsidiary of Sumo Digital in 2018, working on games like Little Orpheus, Still Wakes the Deep, and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 since then. In its statement, the studio explains what prompted it to cut ties with Sumo Digital.
According to The Chinese Room, it began looking "increasingly likely" that the studio would soon be sold off, perhaps to a private equity firm or other interested overseas party, by Sumo Digital. Rather than waiting to be bought, The Chinese Room is now set to once again run as an independent company headed by director Ed Daly. The studio's independence comes after a deal facilitated by venture capital investment firm Hiro Capital.
"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," says Daly on The Chinese Room's regained independence. "This is what we are doing and we want to carry on doing it, so we're happy to carry on in this vein." Hiro Capital has also spoken out on the deal.
"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," states Spike Laurie, a partner at Hiro Capital. "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."
Laurie continues: "We are at risk of overlooking these creative gems and letting them be sold to overseas corporations. That is a travesty for the $5.5 billion British gaming industry, which has a world-renowned reputation." He concludes, "We need to nurture this talent and support it through difficult times, because it is one of our leading creative exports." That isn't the only exciting news shared in the deal announcement either.
The Chinese Room is currently working on two new games – alongside sequel Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, which is being published by Paradox Interactive and is releasing this October.
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