The Chinese Room is quite the success story. After starting out as a small team making a mod for Half-Life 2, they exploded in popularity. They’ve released a few notable titles over the years and were eventually acquired by Sumo Digital in 2018. But those days of not being an indie team are over!
It was announced today that The Chinese Room has officially severed ties with Sumo Digital and has regained its independence. The future looks bright for this team, as they now have the creative freedom to seek out projects that align with their current vision. Of course, we already know of at least one game that the team is working through.
The Chinese Room Goes Back To Being Independent
Thanks to IGN, we’re learning that The Chinese Room had feared it would have been sold off by Sumo Digital. Instead of letting that happen, they managed to facilitate a deal to go through a management buyout. As mentioned, they are now free to continue exploring their own creative projects or work with other teams.
It was also announced through IGN that The Chinese Room is currently developing two new IPs. While we wait to learn more about these two projects, we are aware of one title that is scheduled to arrive this year. After a few headaches to get this game going, Paradox Interactive and White Wolf Publishing decided to work with The Chinese Room to see Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 come out.
Currently, the game is not set to launch until sometime this October. With that said, we do know that when the long-awaited sequel installment is released, it’ll be available for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.
As mentioned, The Chinese Room had quite a few hits over the years. One of the first games to garner mass attention from players worldwide was a mod for Half-Life 2 called Dear Esther, released in 2008. Meanwhile, their latest release, currently available to pick up and play, is 2024’s Still Wakes The Deep.