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

The weather outside may be frightful, but the news from our studios is so delightful! This month, our games and teams have hit the headlines for everything from in-engine expertise, to award wins and inspirations.

UNREAL WATER

Since it released in June, Still Wakes the Deep has been recognising some of our greatest fears through its beautiful storytelling, environment and level design, and its unreal water.

In a feature for the Unreal Engine blog, Programmer at The Chinese Room, Joe Wheater, shares some of the ways the team created menacing water that pushed, challenged and terrified players throughout the game.

Through a combination of bespoke tech, Unreal Engine 5’s suite of tools, a lot of learning about the movement and dynamics of water and a desire to make the player feel as isolated and afraid as possible, the team created an aquatic foe which manages to somehow be scarier than the otherworldly, fleshy nightmare that comes aboard the rig.

Read how they did it on 80Lvl.

FULL SPEED AHEAD

Sumo Leamington’s chaotic kart-racer Stampede: Racing Royale finally made its full-throttle launch onto Steam, and we loved seeing keen karters getting their hands on this free-to-play battle-royale game.

Among them was Matias Taumitez of Keen Gamer, who picked up the game for review and called it “incredibly enjoyable”, saying the “gameplay is fast, easy to get into, and there’s a lot of options for customizing your racer and kart”.

Now available for both Xbox Game Preview and Steam, Stampede: Racing Royale has seen great reviews on Steam from players and has plenty to get involved with over on social media, including Discord, X, TikTok, Instagram & YouTube.

We have to agree with Matias when he said: “Stampede Racing Royaleis hard to put down because you always have room for ‘just one more race’”.

You can read his full review on Keen Gamer.

GORY DAYS

Recently, Sumo Studios have released a string of games which feature a whole lotta blood, guts and grim gore grossness. Whilst you might think gore is only there to shock and disgust a player, there’s a whole lot more to it than that: gore can be an effective way to push the themes and messaging of your game.

Developers from The Chinese Room, Sumo Newcastle and Sumo Nottingham who worked on Still Wakes the Deep, DEATHSPRINT 66 and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, respectively, took a deep dive into what goes into creating good gore, how it can support the messaging of your game… and shared some pretty gnarly behind-the-scenes images from their projects. Whether you’re going for heart-wrenching story, an authentic and grounded experience, or exploring a dystopian future, gore can help your game tell that story.

Uncover the lore of gore in these games by heading over to GameDeveloper.com.

PRAISE [FOR] THE EMPEROR

When it released last year, Warhammer 40k: Boltgun, was met with volumes of praise from critics and players alike as they relished getting to explore the grim darkness of the far future.

The game’s “boomer shooter” style has seen it continue to reign as a top pick for fans, with its gameplay and aesthetics harkening back to games gone by. The development team at Auroch Digital took a lot of influences from games old and new, and added their expertise in the Warhammer IP to create a game ready to be enjoyed by newcomers and hardcore fans alike.

Take a walk down boomer shooter memory lane with this piece from CBR on how Boltgun pays homage to the genre.

A BLOODY GOOD TIME

Challengers, ready! DEATHSPRINT 66 thrusts players into the dystopian darkness of the year 2066 as they must race around rollercoaster-like tracks and avoid meeting a grisly demise thanks to a healthy helping of deadly traps.

It’s fast, it’s frantic, it’s flippin’ brutal, and – according to reviewer Erin McAllister – it’s exceptionally fun. In her review for Game Grin, she praises Sumo Newcastle’s world-building, tight gameplay and control system. Whether you’re wall-running, in foot-racing flow or meeting the sharp-end (I kid. All the ends are sharp) of a GIGASAW, DEATHSPRINT 66 is sure to keep you on your toes and bloodthirsty for more.

Check out the full review on Game Grin.

BET ON IT

Having made countless lists of the top games releasing in 2025, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, has been keeping the team at The Chinese Room busy.

Fans of the World of Darkness got a sneak peek at some new gameplay and cinematics for the game as publisher Paradox Interactive released a new trailer titled “A Betting Man”. In the trailer, you can meet some Camarilla Court, including Benny, Tolly, Safia and Lou.

Watch the trailer and read more about the game on Bleeding Cool.

WINNER WINNER, BBQ DINNER

The Fangoria Awards were held in October and we’re so proud that Sumo Nottingham’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was named Best Video Game.

The team, in partnership with publisher Gun Interactive, delivered an authentic experience which solidly places itself in the franchises 50 year legacy and adds rich detail and lore to its cannon.

On the win, Gun thanked the team, the actors and the game’s community for keeping the game full of life (or, if you play as a Family Member, full of death?). To mark their victory, the team received a (very, very cool) trophy which now sits snugly in Sumo Nottingham’s studio.

See said trophy and read about the other winners on Full Sync.

CRITTER CAFE

Critters? Check! Cosy vibes? Check! Cool customisation? Check! Critter Café has now launched and is open for business on Nintendo Switch and PC.

With 35 critters to be rescued in this game, Programmer (and original creator of Critter Café) Eleanor Gregory spoke to Game Reactor about how the design of the critters came to be, their inspirations and how players will get to interact with them in the game.

Ducks, dragons and delicate colours are just one combination you’ll find within the Critter Café Creature Compendium (phew). Eleanor explains that the critters within the game come from mash-ups of real-world animals, and an exploration of fantasy creatures.

Check out the full interview with GameReactor.

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