The Chinese Room, developer of Still Wakes the Deep, Dear Esther, and the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, recently cut ties with its parent company, according to a statement provided to IGN. Sumo Digital acquired the developer in August 2018 for £2.2 million, and now The Chinese Room is independent once again.
This weekend, The Chinese Room completed a management buyout, with the company to be led by current studio director Ed Daly. This deal was facilitated by VC firm Hiro Capital, but according to Eurogamer, it also resulted in layoffs.
“Yes, following the divestment process a number of roles were made redundant,” Daly told Eurogamer. “The specifics are confidential but the studio is currently 55 developers. Clearly this was a very difficult process as we sought a future for the studio outside of Sumo.”
The Chinese Room also announced it’s actively working on two new IPs. “We had been working on new IP that needed investment and that was no longer possible with Sumo’s new model,” Daly told Eurogamer.
In the immediate future, The Chinese Room is planning to release Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 this October, and it’s the game on the cover of Game Informer‘s next issue, out tomorrow.
Sources: IGN, Eurogamer