Secret Mode opens new Sheffield studio to support internal titles, starting with Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together – GamesIndustry.biz
Indie publisher Secret Mode has opened an internal development studio in Sheffield to support titles across its portfolio, beginning with Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together. The move marks a shift away from reliance on external development teams towards building dedicated in-house capacity, and reflects the company's ambition to grow into a broader technical hub for its games over the coming years.
The studio is being led by VP of Technology and Operations Dan Secker, who joined in November 2025 and brings 28 years of industry experience, alongside Technical Development Director Jake Habgood, whose university connections are expected to aid recruitment from Sheffield's talent pool. It will launch with three staff and is expected to grow to around 20 within 12 months, working on new levels, cosmetics and platform ports, with potential releases on Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 under consideration. Staff will be required in the office four days a week, and Secret Mode has set a five-year goal of establishing the studio as a "technical centre of excellence" supporting multiple titles.
- Secret Mode opens new internal Sheffield studio for game development
- Starts with 3 staff, aiming for about 20 within a year
- Will support Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together first
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Secret Mode is an independent video game publisher whose portfolio includes titles such as Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together. Like many publishers, it has traditionally relied on outside development studios to build and maintain its games, rather than employing developers directly.
The company is now setting up its own in-house development studio in Sheffield, a city with a growing games industry and university talent pool. The studio is being led by two senior industry figures, Dan Secker and Jake Habgood, and is intended to grow from a handful of staff into a larger team over the next year.
This matters because it signals a shift in how Secret Mode operates, moving from outsourcing work to building its own technical team that could support multiple games long-term, potentially including new content and versions for additional gaming consoles.