Pocketpair Ventures into Publishing with Tales of Kenzera Dev's Next Game

Pocketpair, the developer behind the popular game Palworld, is venturing into the publishing realm with the establishment of Pocketpair Publishing. Their first project under this new label will be a horror game developed by Surgent Studios, known for their debut title, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, which was released in April of last year. This upcoming horror game will not be connected to the Tales of Kenzera universe, marking a fresh start for Surgent Studios.

Surgent Studios CEO Abubakar Salim expressed excitement about the new project, stating, "We noticed a pattern in the entertainment industry, and Pocketpair has given us the opportunity to make a horror game about it. Both Surgent and Pocketpair are well versed in taking risks. This game will be short and weird, and we think players will be interested in what we have to say." Salim also mentioned ongoing discussions about potential future projects within the Tales of Kenzera universe, but emphasized that the horror game will stand alone as a distinct milestone in their journey.

While no release window or title has been announced for the horror game, it's clear that the project is still in its early stages. This development is separate from the previously shared Project Uso concept by Surgent Studios. Meanwhile, Pocketpair Publishing is actively seeking pitches from other developers, emphasizing a hands-off approach. "We don't want to tell you what to do. We don’t want to take control from you. We don’t want to change your dream or push you to make a certain type of game," the company stated on its website.

John Buckley, head of Pocketpair Publishing, highlighted the company's passion for gaming and their goal to support developers. "At Pocketpair, there is nothing we love more than games, and Pocketpair Publishing is our latest venture to help the world enjoy gaming even more. Game development comes with many challenges, but we want to ease that process as much as possible and provide an environment where creators can pursue their dreams," Buckley said. He expressed enthusiasm about supporting Surgent Studios’ new title as their first step, respecting the autonomy and vision of developers to create great games for a global audience.

Abubakar Salim, who also has an acting career with roles in Assassin's Creed Origins, House of the Dragon, and as the protagonist in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, shared his honor in being Pocketpair Publishing's first partner. "This is the energy I want to see driving games in 2025," he remarked on X/Twitter, "developers lifting each other up, creating together, and pushing the industry forward."

Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a single-player Metroidvania game that delves into themes of grief and love, received a 7/10 in IGN's review. The review praised the game for its moving narrative about coping with loss, despite its action not being groundbreaking within the genre. However, the positive reception did not translate into overwhelming success for Surgent Studios, which announced layoffs in July and faced further funding struggles leading to redundancy notices in October. The support from Pocketpair Publishing could be crucial for the studio's future endeavors.

On another front, Pocketpair continues to navigate a patent infringement lawsuit filed by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, stemming from the record-breaking sales success of Palworld.