Zero Escape Creator Kotaro Uchikoshi’s Next Game Has Been Cancelled

Kotaro Uchikoshi, the creator of the Zero Escape series, has revealed that his team’s next game has been cancelled after around 18 months of development. The Japanese game director shared the news, explaining that the sudden cancellation had left him without a job and prompted him to publicly announce his independent studio, CRASH KEYS.

In a post on X , Uchikoshi described the cancellation as an unexpected blow, saying, “Because the game our whole team had poured our hearts and souls into for about a year and a half was suddenly canceled...!! I mean, I lost my job overnight.” Uchikoshi established CRASH KEYS in March 2025.

The studio specialises in video game design, direction and narrative writing. He had originally planned to reveal the company alongside an announcement for its next game in 2027, but the cancellation forced him to bring those plans forward. The studio is now looking for new projects and potential investors to help keep its team working.

Uchikoshi asked interested parties to contact CRASH KEYS through the official website , where the studio has a contact form for work opportunities and investment proposals. Uchikoshi is best known for creating the Zero Escape trilogy, which includes 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma.

His other notable works include the AI: The Somnium Files series, and he co-directed The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy with Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka. Salal Awan Salal's main hobby is photography but he is also interested in learning the latest about Technology including Smartphones and PC Hardware.

He is the co-founder of Twisted Voxel and always on the lookout for the news.