Surgent Studios partners with Pocketpair for new horror game

Details about the new game remain under wraps.
surgent studios new game pocketpair

Palworld developer Pocketpair has announced a new publishing wing, with its first game being a partnership with Tales of Kenzera: ZAU developer, Surgent Studios. As announced, Pocketpair Publishing aims to aid developers in publishing new, creative titles, with a “hands-off” approach to guiding this creativity.

Surgent Studios’ new title will be a horror game, and it’s set to release sometime in 2025. While the studio had previously discussed a range of ideas for new games publicly, including a “Project Uso” which focussed on the god of chaos, this horror game is an entirely separate, smaller project. For now, there are very few details about it, and Surgent Studios appears keen to keep it that way.

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

Salim also confirmed further projects in the Tales of Kenzera universe are still in development, but the team is currently focussed on this mystery horror game.

Read: Grief in full colour – An interview with Abubakar Salim for Tales of Kenzera: ZAU

As for Pocketpair Publishing, it appears the company is very keen to support Surgent’s latest venture, sharing excitement around its vision in a press release.

“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,” John Buckley, head of Pocketpair Publishing said.

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

With the success of Palworld under its belt, it appears Pocketpair is now keen to explore brand new creative avenues, with Surgent Studios being one of the first partners for the company’s new, ambitious publishing wing. We’re likely to hear much more from Pocketpair Publishing, and from Surgent Studios, in the months ahead.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.