In the current situation of the industry, opening a new studio focused on small or medium projects is a huge risk. There is always a need to take risks, as projects like Black Myth: Wukong demonstrate, but success is not guaranteed. This has also happened to Surgent Studios, who released Tales of Kenzera: ZAU earlier this year, a title very well received that even was available on PS Plus and Game Pass. However, this has not given wings to the studio: the British are preparing to announce layoffs as they face a funding shortage.
The English team, founded by actor Abubakar Salim (known for La Casa del Dragón or Assassin’s Creed Origins), has issued a concerning statement on their social media, informing that their video game division will be put on hold due to funding issues. In the message, the company confirms that they will have to lay off their team while seeking new sources of income for their future projects.
The studio was working on a new game, now it remains up in the air
In their Twitter post, Surgent Studios expressed: “We have decided to suspend the work of Surgent’s game division while we secure funding for our next project. Unfortunately, we have had to notify our team about layoffs.” However, and although the future of the game division is uncertain, Surgent Studios has indicated that there are still a couple of interesting updates to come for ZAU. Additionally, the company is working on a new prototype that promises to be “darker, bolder, and more visceral” than its previous project, maintaining the essence of dynamic combat and cultural depth that characterizes Tales of Kenzera.
Click on the image to access the post on Twitter
Earlier this year, Abubakar Salim, one of the creative figures behind Surgent Studios and founder of the team, shared his vision and the inspirations that brought ZAU to life. However, the current situation is not new to the studio, which has previously faced layoffs, raising concerns about the team’s stability and the future viability of their projects.
Currently, it has not been clarified how many team members will be affected by the layoffs, but the company has urged potential partners interested in collaborating on their new project to visit their contact page. The gaming community and followers of Surgent Studios hope that the studio manages to overcome this crisis and resumes its path towards the development of new and exciting video games.
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