Palworld developer Pocketpair is transferring into the publishing enterprise to launch Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studio’s subsequent sport.
The newly shaped Pocketpair Publishing mentioned on X/Twitter it is going to assist “a model new horror sport” from Surgent Studios, which launched Tales of Kenzera: Zau as its debut title in April final yr. The horror sport printed by Pocketpair will not be a continuation of that universe, nonetheless.
“We seen a sample within the leisure business, and Pocketpair has given us the chance to make a horror sport about it,” mentioned Surgent Studios CEO Abubakar Salim. “Each Surgent and Pocketpair are nicely versed in taking dangers. This sport will probably be brief and bizarre, and we predict gamers will probably be all for what we have now to say.
“We’re nonetheless in earnest dialog about additional tasks set within the Tales of Kenzera universe, however this will probably be a standalone piece: a mile marker between the place we’ve come from and the place we’re going.”
No launch window or perhaps a title was introduced, so the undertaking is presumably nonetheless some time away from releasing. That is additionally separate from the Mission Uso idea beforehand shared by Surgent Studios.
Pocketpair Publishing, in the meantime, is now accepting pitches from different builders. “We do not need to let you know what to do. We don’t need to take management from you. We don’t need to change your dream or push you to make a sure sort of sport,” it mentioned on its web site.
Head of Pocketpair Publishing John Buckley added: “At Pocketpair, there may be nothing we love greater than video games, and Pocketpair Publishing is our newest enterprise to assist the world get pleasure from gaming much more. Game improvement comes with many challenges, however we wish to ease that course of as a lot as attainable and supply an atmosphere the place creators can pursue their desires.
“We’re happy to give you the option to assist Surgent Studios’ new title as our first step. We deeply sympathize with their unique concepts and keenness and are honoured to assist them notice their imaginative and prescient. We’ll respect the autonomy and imaginative and prescient of builders and work collectively to make nice video games for individuals everywhere in the world.”
Salim, who can be an actor having performed Murderer’s Creed Origins protagonist Bayek, Alyn of Hull in Home of the Dragon, and the titular character in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, mentioned “it is an unbelievable honor to be Pocketpair Publishing’s first associate” in a comply with up put up on X/Twitter.
“That is the power I need to see driving video games in 2025,” he mentioned, “builders lifting one another up, creating collectively, and pushing the business ahead.”
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a single participant Metroidvania sport which explores themes of grief and love. It earned a 7/10 in IGN’s overview. “Tales of Kenzera: Zau’s motion is not groundbreaking inside the style, however its elevated by a very transferring story about how to go on on this world when your family members have handed on to the subsequent,” we mentioned.
The constructive reception wasn’t sufficient to drive unbridled success, nonetheless, as Surgent Studios introduced layoffs in July. Issues grew worse as staff have been placed on discover for redundancy in October amid additional funding struggles, that means the assist from Pocketpair Publishing will probably go a great distance.
As for Pocketpair, it is nonetheless battling The Pokémon Firm and Nintendo’s patent infringement lawsuit, filed following Palworld’s record-breaking gross sales success.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll speak about The Witcher all day.