Get your digital fix on all-things Sumo with the latest instalment of In the News.

It’s been a busy summer so far here at Sumo – with new games releasing to critical-acclaim, announcements of some exciting titles in development and media getting hands-on with the latest and greatest projects from our studios.

CUTE CRITTERS AND COSY COFFEE

At Summer Game Fest in early June, we announced that Sumo Newcastle have been getting cosy creating Critter Café – due for release later this year on Nintendo Switch and PC.

In Critter Café, you can create your own fully customisable character and cosy café filled with fantastic creatures, and open the doors for customers to sit down, grab a coffee and spend time with their favourite Critters.

After the announcement, Eleanor Gregory – Lead Developer for Critter Café – was interviewed by Game Reactor about the magical world of Critter Café, the quests players can expect to tackle and the game’s approach to customisation and self-expression.

You can check out the interview, plus a sneak peek at the game, on the Game Reactor site.

CREATING THE HORROR OF STILL WAKES THE DEEP

Still Wakes the Deep has been haunting players for almost two months, and most recently, the team at The Chinese Room spoke to GI.Biz about creating the “rollercoaster of trauma” that Caz and the workers on the Beira D experienced.

Project Creative Designer John McCormack, Associate Art Director Laura Dodds, Lead Designer Rob MacLachlan, Project Technical Director Louis Larsson-De Wet and Audio Director Daan Hendriks all sat down to talk about creating the isolated world of Still Wakes the Deep, and how its roots in emotion and narrative were always its driving force.

You can read about creating the horrors and heartbreaks in Still Wakes the Deep over on the GI.Biz website.

Still Wakes the Deep is available now for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, and on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. Want to know more about the waters you’re about to dive into? Read through some of our favourite reviews here.

STAMPEDE: RACING ROYALE HITS THE TRACK

In July, Sumo Leamington launched Stampede: Racing Royale into Xbox Game Preview and brought colourful karting chaos to the world.

In Stampede: Racing Royale, 60 players go bumper-to-bumper in three-rounds of racing to crown an ultimate champion. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s fantastically fun! Deck your karts with cool customisation, and choose from hundreds of helmets, outfits and threads to rock the track in style.

Creating this 60-player racing extravaganza has been no small feat, and Chris Groves recently got under the hood of the game’s development over on the Xbox Blog to share the speed bumps, the power-ups and the future tracks of Stampede: Racing Royale.

So pull into the pit lane and settle in to discover how Sumo Leamington created Stampede: Racing Royale.

DEATHSPRINT 66 IS SET TO BE A BLOODY GOOD TIME

Earlier this year, Sumo Newcastle announced that bipedal racing title DEATHSPRINT 66 would be running towards launch later this year. Expect blood, guts and glory as the Bachman Media Network is set to dominate our screens, and the clones will be (literally) running for their lives.

Ahead of its launch, media had the chance to get their hands on a preview version of the game and compete in a world of brutal entertainment. One of the Jockeys to step up to the plate was GameSpot’s Jordan Ramée, who loved getting a chance to brutally betray his buddies in this brutal game… asking the big question of: “If you can’t betray your friends in the middle of an arcade or party game, are you even having fun?”

We might not have the definitive answer to this question, but we do have the link for you to read the GameSpot preview and decide for yourself!

HIGHWAY TO HELLSINGER

The team over at Lab42 are hard at work on their porting project of bringing rhythm-combat game, Metal: Hellsinger, to life in VR.

Experts in porting to VR, the Lab42 team have maintained Hellsinger’s heart-pumping gameplay and wild weapons and introduced a strong set of VR comfort options to keep players able to slash, swipe and slice their way to victory.

The demo was made available on Steam, and it was great to see media checking out this reimagined, beloved title on a new platform. Among them was COG Connected, and you can see what they thought right here.

Just can’t get enough of all things VR? Some of the Lab42 team are headed to devCom later this month to talk about their experience working on Metal: Hellsinger VR, and the benefits of reimagining your IP into virtual reality. More information can be found on the devCom website.

A CERTIFICATION OF XCELLENCE

Has it been almost a year since the launch of Sumo Nottingham and Gun Interactive’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Yes. Are we over it? Absolutely not.

… and neither are our players, apparently! We were thrilled to receive a coveted Xbox Excellence Award which recognises high player retention on Xbox Game Pass, and celebrates top performing games. Launching as a Day One Game Pass title, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre reached 4.5 million players within the first six months and has continued to release regular content and updates.

We’re sending huge congratulations to all the teams involved in bringing this asymmetric horror game to life, and for faithfully adapting one of the most loved horror IP into such a great game.

You can visit Inside Xbox for the full story.

FACING FEARS AND FIGHTING MONSTERS

Still Wakes the Deep is a game designed to have players confront their fears: whether you’re afraid of the dark, of human-made objects submerged in water, of isolation or heights, there’s a fear to suit all.

Someone who knows all about facing their fears is Dominique Buttiens – Environment Artist at The Chinese Room – who took on the ultimate challenge when working on the game by addressing his lifelong Claustrophobia.

Speaking to PlayStation Blog, Dominique shared how experiencing Claustrophobia throughout his life meant he was able to deliver authentic experiences to the player as they crawl, swim and dive into small spaces to escape an unknowable horror.

You can read Dominique’s full interview here.

NO RAIN, NO GAIN

Experts in all things visual design, Atomhawk’s studios have been working on an exciting, artist-led R&D initiative to support creativity and innovation of all things art. Introducing Project Rainfall.

Developed by the team at Atomhawk Canada, this new R&D initiative means the team are able to test new tools, processes and techniques. Atomhawk serves the AAA games industry and is always looking for new ways to innovate, improve creative solutions and provide-real time support for their partners.

Check it out over on Artstation.

If you’re looking for a partner to bring your game vision to life, information on Co-Development and Support with Sumo Digital can be found on the Services Page.