Sumo was founded in 2003 and quickly established itself as a reliable and collaborative development partner for premier games publishers around the world.

As our experience grew, so did our versatility. We quickly became a multi-project, multi-genre solution provider, developing award-winning titles for every gaming platform.

Sumo Digital was originally set up as a ‘work for hire’ games developer, working alongside developers and publishers for certain sections of a game’s production. Successful delivery of co-development projects enhanced the company’s experience of franchise IP, enabling us to eventually take responsibility for full turnkey projects.

2003

  • Carl Cavers, James North-Hearn, Paul Porter, and Darren Mills founded Sumo Digital 

2004

  • Sumo Digital develops the classic arcade-inspired ‘Outrun 2’ for Xbox

2007

  • A second studio is opened in Pune, India – Sumo Videogames Pvt
  • Sumo Digital becomes part of Foundation9 Entertainment, an American media company

2012

  • Sumo Digital develops ‘Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed’ for SEGA

2014

  • Carl, Paul, Darren and Chris Stockwell led a management buyout, backed by NorthEdge Capital
  • Platform-adventure ‘LittleBigPlanet 3’, developed for Sony, is released in November

2015

  • TIGA awards Sumo Digital the UK Heritage Award
  • Sumo Digital is announced as working with IO Interactive
  • 'LittleBigPlanet 3' is awarded DICE's Best Family Game

2016

  • Sumo’s second UK studio, Sumo Nottingham, is founded
  • Sumo Digital is awarded TIGA’s Best Large Independent Studio
  • A secondary buyout was completed to bring on Perwyn LLP
  • Sumo Digital work with partners IO Interactive on ‘Hitman’

2017

  • Sumo Digital acquires Atomhawk, a premium digital art and design agency in Newcastle
  • Sumo Digital’s first own-IP puzzle platformer game, ‘Snake Pass’, developed from an internal Game Jam competition, is released
  • Sumo Group plc is formed in December, and joins the AIM LSE on 21 December 2017

2018

  • The CCP Newcastle Studio responsible for Valkyrie VR becomes part of Sumo Digital as Sumo Newcastle
  • Brighton-based studio and BAFTA award winning The Chinese Room is acquired and joins Sumo Digital in August
  • Atomhawk opens the doors of a second studio in Vancouver, Canada
  • Working with Microsoft Studio’s Playground Games, Sumo Digital completes work on ‘Forza Horizon 4’, released in September
  • Sumo Digital works once again with partners IO Interactive on ‘Hitman 2’, released in November

2019

  • In January, Red Kite Games is acquired and joins Sumo
  • Mobile game and games as a service development studio Sumo Leamington opens in April
  • Atomhawk create concept art for NetherRealm Studios ‘Mortal Kombat 11’, released in April
  • ‘Team Sonic Racing’, developed for SEGA, is released
  • Tech-focused Sumo Warrington opens in October
  • Sumo Digital is awarded TIGA's Best Independent Studio
  • Red Kite Games wins GI.Biz Best Places to Work award for Best Small Studio
  • Atomhawk works with Microsoft on announcement for AR experience ‘Minecraft Earth’

2020

  • Sumo Digital’s second own-IP game, ‘Spyder’, is released exclusively for Apple Arcade
  • Sumo Academy, a talent development programme, is launched, designed to create new pathways into the industry
  • Atomhawk work with publisher 2K to create concept art and motion graphics for ‘XCOM: Chimera Squad’, released in April
  • Lab42 are acquired in May and welcomed to Sumo Group
  • Sumo Digital wins MCV/DEVELOP’s External Development Partner of the Year award
  • Pipeworks Studios based in Oregon, US, becomes part of the Sumo Group family in October
  • Sumo Sheffield release 'Sackboy: A Big Adventure' as a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

2021

  • PixelAnt, based in Wroclaw, Poland, join Sumo Digital expanding the Group's international presence. Founded in 2020, and under the leadership of Pawel Rohleder and Adam Lasoń
    the studio is a leader in work-for-hire, co-development, and original IP projects across current and next-gen platforms.
  • Sumo Group announce the launch of Secret Mode; a publishing division for own-IP and independent developers.
  • Sumo Sheffield's Sackboy: A Big Adventure gains two BAFTAs for Family Game and British Game.
  • Sumo Group are awarded position 59 in the Best Companies Top100 to go alongside their 3-star award from the B'Heard Survey.
  • Pipeworks expand with Timbre Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. The new studio is headed by Joe Nickolls with co-founders Zoë Curnoe and Geoff Coates.