Game director and scenario writer Kotaro Uchikoshi officially announced the establishment of game studio Crash Keys on October 15. The company plans to develop new original projects drawing on Uchikoshi’s creative vision and the experience he has accumulated throughout his career. Further details regarding the studio’s individual projects are due to be announced.
After spending the early years of his career at developer KID, where he worked on titles like Ever17: The Out of Infinity, and the Memories Off series, Kotaro Uchikoshi joined Spike Chunsoft in 2007. There, he created some of his most well-known titles, including the Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files series. After leaving Spike Chunsoft, Uchikoshi became one of the founding members of Too Kyo Games alongside Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka, where he was involved in projects including the scenario direction for The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. According to Uchikoshi (via X), he now remains affiliated with Too Kyo Games alongside his independent activities and maintains a positive relationship with the studio.
At the newly announced Crash Keys, Uchikoshi will draw on his extensive experience to pursue original projects, aiming to be “unbound by conventional formulas.” According to the press release, Crash Keys is currently seeking investment partners to help advance its original projects and establish its business foundations. The company itself was established in March 2025, with Uchikoshi serving as CEO.
Crash Keys has also unveiled its tagline and official website. Uchikoshi mentioned on X that his original plan was to reveal the company alongside the announcement of a new game, sometime in 2027. However, the game he had spent a year and a half developing was suddenly canceled, forcing him to bring the company announcement forward unexpectedly. Uchikoshi says he is now seeking work opportunities and investment for projects to prevent the company from literally “crashing.”
