[STEAM] Palworld Developer Pocketpair Moves Into Publishing to Release Tales of Kenzera Dev's Next Game

[Steam 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

developer Pocketpair is moving into the publishing business to release

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

developer Surgent Studio's next game.

The newly formed Pocketpair Publishing said on

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

it will support "a brand new horror game" from Surgent Studios,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. The horror game published by Pocketpair won't be a continuation of that universe, however.

"We noticed a pattern in the entertainment industry, and Pocketpair has given us the opportunity to make a horror game about it," said Surgent Studios CEO Abubakar Salim. "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.

"We’re still in earnest conversation about further projects set in the Tales of Kenzera universe, but this will be a standalone piece: a mile marker between where we’ve come from and where we’re going."

We’re still in earnest conversation about further projects set in the Tales of Kenzera universe, but this will be a standalone piece. No release window or even a title was announced, so the project is presumably still a while away from releasing. This is also separate from

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

Pocketpair Publishing, meanwhile, is now accepting pitches from other developers. "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," it said on its website.

Head of Pocketpair Publishing John Buckley added: "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.

"We are pleased to be able to support Surgent Studios’ new title as our first step. We deeply sympathize with their original ideas and passion and are honoured to help them realize their vision. We will respect the autonomy and vision of developers and work together to make great games for people all over the world."

Salim, who is also an actor having played

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

protagonist Bayek, Alyn of Hull in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, and the titular character in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, said "it's an incredible honor to be Pocketpair Publishing's first partner" in a follow up post on X/

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

"This is the energy I want to see driving games in 2025," he said, "developers lifting each other up, creating together, and pushing the industry forward."

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a single player Metroidvania game which explores themes of grief and love.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. "Tales of Kenzera: Zau's action isn't groundbreaking within the genre, but its elevated by a truly moving tale about how to go on in this world when your loved ones have passed on to the next," we said.

The positive reception wasn't enough to drive unbridled success, however, as

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. Things grew worse as

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, meaning the support from Pocketpair Publishing will likely go a long way.

As for Pocketpair, it's still battling The Pokémon Company and Nintendo's patent infringement lawsuit, filed following Palworld's record-breaking sales success.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up