Pocketpair, the creators behind last year’s hit game Palworld, are venturing into the realm of indie game publishing. Their inaugural project, which is set to debut later this year, is a yet-to-be-titled horror game from Surgent Studios, the talent behind 2024’s Tales of Kenzera: Zau.
Palworld, humorously dubbed “Pokémon with firearms,” achieved tremendous success last year, amassing over 25 million players within its first few months. The company’s shift towards publishing comes at a precarious time for the gaming industry, particularly for smaller developers. Notably, last year, Innersloth, the team behind Among Us, made a similar leap into publishing to support the progression of projects. It appears that Pocketpair’s triumph with Palworld is empowering them to follow suit.
“As the gaming industry continues to expand, an increasing number of games are struggling to secure funding or approval,” John Buckley, the lead at Pocketpair Publishing, stated in a press release regarding the formation of the new division. “This is truly unfortunate, as there are countless brilliant creators and concepts that merely require a bit of assistance to transform into outstanding games.”
Thus, it isn’t surprising that Pocketpair is collaborating with Surgent Studios, which has faced challenges in securing funding after the launch of Zau. The studio paused its operations last year as it searched for a partner to support its next game in the Kenzera series, provisionally titled Project Uso.
The agreement between Surgent and Pocketpair is distinct from Uso, as founder Abubakar Salim told WIRED. Departing from the Afrofuturistic themes of Zau, this upcoming horror title aims to present players with a fresh experience. “We’re taking a little detour from the Tales of Kenzera universe,” Salim explains.
Salim emphasizes that the horror genre is “a captivating space that connects with fundamental emotions, immersing audiences in a reality that diverges from their own while resonating with something deep and sinister within us.” Apart from calling it “short and weird,” details about the game were sparse in Thursday’s announcement.
“The world feels incredibly raw right now, and it seems fitting to create an experience that reflects and draws from that intensity,” Salim comments.
Currently, Pocketpair Publishing has not disclosed any additional projects. The company has been entangled in legal issues since last year when Nintendo filed a lawsuit in Tokyo, alleging that Palworld violated its copyright. Nintendo has not provided a response to inquiries. When asked if the lawsuit posed any concerns for Surgent, Salim expressed that the studio remains unconcerned. “We’re genuinely thrilled to collaborate with their new publishing branch to bring this game to fruition,” he stated.
