2024 has been a rough year for video game studios with multiple closings and even some of the largest in the industry, including Riot Games , going through rounds of layoffs. Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios is the latest to suffer a setback this year, and while the studio isn't closing, a recent message posted to X explains that all game production is being temporarily halted while they try to secure additional funding. This news comes only six months after the launch of their first game.
Surgent Studios was founded in 2020 by Abubakar Salim, known for his work as Father in the HBO Max series Raised By Wolves and as the voice of Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins
. Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the studio's only game to date, is a Metroidvania that draws inspiration from the Bantu of southern Africa, which gave the title a distinctive visual and musicial style. Players have praised the art style and personal story of a son setting out to bring his father back from the afterlife, which has earned it a "Very Positive" review rating on Steam
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Poor Sales From Day One
While Tales of Kenzera: Zau is well regarded by those...