Tales of Kenzera: Zau studio is facing layoffs
Update: Surgent Studios has confirmed that “just over a dozen” employees have been laid off
Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios is facing layoffs.
Multiple former developers have been posting to LinkedIn that their time working at the studio is ending (as spotted by Game Developer).
Tales of Kenzera: Zau was released earlier this year. Published as an EA Original title, the game received generally positive reviews at release, with a Metacritic score of 76.
Update
Surgent Studios has confirmed that “just over a dozen” employees have been laid off.
Thank you so much to those who have checked in. This hurts deeply. This isn’t the news I wanted to share today.
I am so proud of what the team have acheieved over the course of these 4 years. When things got tough, every one of them stood so strong, it was inspiring.
So to be… https://t.co/Q0C7H5udvv
— Abubakar Salim (@Abzybabzy) July 2, 2024
“Well, it looks like I’m joining all the people affected by industry layoffs this year,” wrote Jordan Smee, a former technical artist at Surgent Studios.
Level designer Peter Brisbourne wrote: “The chapter entitled ‘Pete Works At Surgent Studios’ is coming to a close at the end of the month,” alongside an image referencing that he had been affected by layoffs.
If accurate, these developers would join the large number of peers that have lost their jobs in what has been a difficult period for the games industry.
Surgent Studios, the developer behind Tales of Kenzera: Zau is headed by Abubakar Salim, the actor known for his work on House of the Dragon and Assassin’s Creed: Origins.
VGC has reached out to Surgent Studios for comment and will update this story should we receive one.
VGC’s Tales of Kenzera review called it a “challenging, poignant Metroidvania.”
“Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like a studio stretching its legs for the first time,” we wrote. “Visually inventive, and full of great platforming, average combat and exploration lets it down.”
