Kotaro Uchikoshi officially unveiled his new game studio, CRASH KEYS, at 1:00 AM JST on the 15th. The studio is advancing original projects and recruiting investment partners to join the venture.
CRASH KEYS was established in March 2025, with Kotaro Uchikoshi serving as Representative Director and CEO. Its main businesses encompass game planning, direction, and scenario writing, as well as series composition, original planning, and screenplay writing for anime and other video content.
Building on Uchikoshi's creative experience, the studio aims to deliver moving and memorable experiences to players worldwide. Specific details regarding individual projects will be announced sequentially as preparations are completed.
The recruitment of investment partners is intended to advance original projects and establish a solid business foundation. CRASH KEYS is looking for partners to realize the studio's vision and creative direction together, and will provide information regarding business strategy, project concepts, and investment opportunities upon request.
Uchikoshi is the creator of the Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files series and has released adventure games such as Ever17. Storytelling that combines branching narratives, plot twists, sci-fi, and philosophical themes was highlighted as a hallmark of his work.
According to the press release, his representative title 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors won IGN's Best DS Story award in 2010. Its sequel, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, won GameSpot's Handheld Game of the Year award in 2012 and was nominated for Best Narrative at the 2013 Game Developers Choice Awards.
Also a founding member of Too Kyo Games, Uchikoshi served as scenario director for The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-, released in 2025. The title won the Award for Excellence at the Japan Game Awards 2025, as well as the Scenario and Rookie categories at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2025. It was also nominated for Best Storytelling at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 and Best Writing in a Game at the New York Game Awards 2026.
