Pocketpair, the company behind last year’s viral game World Pal, has a new business: publishing indie games. Its first project, scheduled for release later this year, will be an as-yet-unnamed horror game from Surgent Studios, the developer behind 2024. Tales of Kenzera: Zau.
World Paljokingly nicknamed “Armed Pokémon”, enjoyed massive success last year, attracting over 25 million players to its first months. The company’s step into publishing comes at a turbulent time for video games, particularly for smaller studios; last year, Among us developer Innersloth has announced its own transition to publishing to help move projects forward. Pocketpairs World Pal success, it seems, allows him to do the same.
“As the gaming industry continues to grow, more and more games are struggling to get funded or greenlit,” John Buckley, head of Pocketpair Publishing, said in a press release announcing the news. division. “We think it’s a shame, because there are so many incredible creators and ideas that just need a little help to become amazing games.”
So it’s no surprise that Pocketpair is working with Surgent Studios, which struggled to find funding after the release of Zau. The developer put its team on hiatus last year while it searched for a partner for its next project. Kenzera game, currently known as Uso Project.
Surgent’s agreement with Pocketpair is separate from Usefounder Abubakar Salim tells WIRED. Unlike the Afrofuturism of Zauit will be a horror title meant to introduce players to something new. “We are taking a small detour from the Tales of Kenzera universe,” says Salim.
Salim adds that the horror genre “is a fascinating space that taps into primal emotions, immersing audiences in a reality far removed from their own, but striking something deep and dark within us all.” Pocketpair and Surgent gave few details about the game in Thursday’s announcement, other than describing it as “short and weird.”
“The world is so raw right now, and it feels natural to create an experience that reflects and feeds off that intensity,” says Salim.
Pocketpair Publishing has not announced any other future projects. The company has been mired in legal drama since last year, when Nintendo filed a lawsuit in Tokyo, claiming World Pal violated his copyright. Nintendo did not respond to a request for comment. When asked if the lawsuit concerned Surgent, Salim said the studio was not concerned. “We’re really excited to work with their new publishing arm to bring this game to life,” he says.
