Anime News Network·Japan·Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 07:00 PM UTC

Zero Escape Writer Kōtarō Uchikoshi Announces Crash Keys Company With Cryptic Website, 'Canceled' Game

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Writer and game developer Kōtarō Uchikoshi announced on X/Twitter on Thursday that he started in March 2025 a new company Crash Keys, named after a fictional organization in his Zero Escape game series. He unveiled a cryptic website for Crash Keys, stating that it is a game studio that specializes in video game design, direction, and narrative writing. Uchikoshi stated that he had planned to announce his company in 2027 alongside the reveal of a new game that he and his team had been working on for about a year and a half. However, according to him, the game "was suddenly canceled."

Uchikoshi inquired on work requests and investment proposals for his company in his message. According to Crash Keys' website, his company is headquartered in Shibuya in Tokyo, in the same building as Izanagi Games, which has published the World's End Club game that Uchikoshi had worked on. In addition to CEO and director Uchikoshi, Crash Keys members include Akira Mine (The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, Danganronpa 2×2) and scriptwriter Muri Sasaki (Seifuku no Ojisama, Zero Escape, AI: The Somnium Files). Curiously, after a long gap of no text, the members section on Crash Keys' website lists two more encrypted biographies for "HLPUL UFHLK" and "CESTN RTKSH." While Uchikoshi has given no context to this message, cyphers based on the Zero Escape series suggest that two additional members are actual characters from that series.

Finally, the phrases "RHIZOME-9" and "MEMENTO MORI, IF THE NIN"e"TH LION ATE THE SUN" are written on the bottom right of the website. The latter phrase appears in the former's location in Uchikoshi's Virtue's Last Reward game in his Zero Escape series.

Uchikoshi is perhaps best known as the writer for the Zero Escape game series (Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma). He was also a writer for KID's Memories Off game series, which inspired five original video anime (OVA). He is known for being the planner and writer for the Infinity series of visual novels (Never 7, Ever 17, Remember 11, 12Riven). Uchikoshi and Yūsuke Kozaki worked together on Spike Chunsoft's AI: The Somnium Files game and its sequels, the most recent being the No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files game. Uchikoshi worked with Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa) on the adventure strategy game The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. Uchikoshi is part of the Too Kyo Games company founded by Danganronpa's Kodaka.

Uchikoshi also wrote the scripts for the Punch Line anime, and wrote the original concept for The Girl in Twilight anime.

Sources: Kōtarō Uchikoshi's X/Twitter account, Crash Keys

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