Kotaro Uchikoshi's Crash Keys Studio in Peril After Game Cancellation

Kotaro Uchikoshi has lost his job overnight. The cancellation of his new studio's first game after about a year and a half of work has thrown Crash Keys into a fight for survival, prompting a public plea for help.

Uchikoshi announced the abrupt end of Crash Keys’ first project after 18 months of development. He described the cancellation as a sudden, unexpected blow that left him and his team without work. The situation forced him to reveal the studio's existence and its crisis earlier than planned. He had originally intended to announce Crash Keys alongside its first game in 2027. Now, he is urgently seeking work, investment, or even words of encouragement to prevent the company from falling apart. He asked interested parties to contact the studio through its official website.

Background on Crash Keys and Uchikoshi’s recent work

Kotaro Uchikoshi founded Crash Keys in March 2025. The studio is named after a key organization from his cult classic Zero Escape trilogy. Uchikoshi is best known as the co-creator, writer, and director of that series of locked-room puzzle adventures, which includes 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, and Zero Time Dilemma. His other notable works include the AI: The Somnium Files series.

Most recently, he co-directed The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy with Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka, following their earlier co-founding of TooKyo Games. The Crash Keys website lists Uchikoshi as CEO and Deadass Underrated Director. It also names two other team members: writer Akira Mine, who worked on The Hundred Line, and scriptwriter Muri Sasaki, a contributor to both Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files. The studio's Works section now cryptically notes the space where its canceled game was meant to be listed.

The team’s current situation and call for support

With the project canceled, the studio is actively looking for new projects and potential investors. Uchikoshi is leveraging the studio's website not just for business contact but also to embed cryptic references familiar to his fans. The site's Members section features puzzling entries like 'HLPUL UFHLK' and 'CESTN RTKSH'. A note at the bottom of the site references Rhizome-9, the setting of Virtue's Last Reward, alongside the phrase 'MEMENTO MORI, IF THE NIN"e"TH LION ATE THE SUN.'

The official contact form is open for work requests, investment proposals, words of encouragement, or even invitations to Law of Attraction seminars. Uchikoshi asked interested parties to contact CRASH KEYS through the official website for these opportunities.