Kotaro Uchikoshi, the cult creator of the puzzle series Zero Escape and the recent The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, has found himself in a difficult situation. His new studio Crash Keys is at risk of closing after a publisher or partner unexpectedly cancelled the project the team had been working on for a year and a half.
"A Bolt from the Blue"
Studio Crash Keys was founded back in March 2025, but the official announcement was planned for much later alongside the reveal of their debut game. Due to the sudden cancellation of development, Uchikoshi was forced to turn to the public and potential partners via social media much earlier than expected.
"To be honest, things are looking pretty bad for me... Why, you ask? Because the game into which our entire team poured their heart and soul for a year and a half was suddenly cancelled. I lost my job literally overnight. A real bolt from the blue," the game designer shared.
Search for Investors and New Projects
In his signature dark humor style, Uchikoshi urged the industry to provide the studio with any work or funding to keep the team of talented writers together:
- The Crash Keys team also includes writers Akira Mine (The Hundred Line, Danganronpa 2x2) and Muri Sasaki (Zero Escape, AI: The Somnium Files).
- The name of the new studio — Crash Keys — is a direct reference to a key organization from the Zero Escape trilogy.
- The developers are looking for any writing contracts or collaborations with investors so the company does not cease to exist.
We hope the talented team finds support and can delight visual novel fans with new thrilling stories on the Nintendo Switch and future platforms.
Comments ...