The 15-person team behind Tales of Kenzera: ZAU was recently announcedafter difficulties in finding funds for another project. However, according to the company’s founder, Abubakar Salim, Surgent Studios is not closing, its employees are not leaving forever and the company is not asleep at the wheel.
He says they are “literally eager” to leave as soon as the second money comes in, like a “cocked gun.”
“We still have a lot more to say and build on,” Salim tells IGN. “And the audience that we’ve already started building, and the players and the people who want to support us, want to hear more… We’re ready. We are very ready. It’s just about taking that leap of faith with us.”
A leap of faith
So what is a leap of faith? It’s called Project Uso and it’s an isometric, afrogothic, single-player action game. You play as a vampiric android containing the spirit of Eshu, the Yoruba god of chaos. As Salim explains, the idea is to explore the idea of two minds in one body through the mechanics of tabletop RPGs. However, instead of rolling against the dungeon master, in Project Uso the player sometimes has to roll against themselves.
The Uso project deals with the concept of identity, with Uso meaning “face” in Swahili. It is inspired by Salim’s exploration of his own dual nature after the birth of his daughter. While ZAU talked about who he is without parent, Salim says Uso wants to ask who he is How give birth.
“As a parent, I have always stated that I love my daughter and clean her dirty diaper. I also want to meet friends at the cinema, go outside with friends or anywhere else. You know what I mean? There is a fight for freedom going on here. And there is this feeling: am I doing this, am I doing that? And even when I talk to my daughter and make choices, how can I make sure she listens to me? Am I strict or soft? You are fighting this battle within yourself.”
Salim honestly admits that he is relatively fresh to game development. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU was the first game he created after entering the industry through acting. He is best known in the gaming world as Bayek in Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and since then, in addition to numerous acting roles in films and television (including the final season of House of the Dragon), he has played many other roles in games. However, the last four years of working on ZAU have been a learning experience for him, especially when it comes to how games are typically financed.
“What I’ve learned is that mostly when you get funding for a game, it’s really necessary for you to get the game out there and maybe a little bit after that,” he says. “Maybe. You should have your next project ready, completed and signed either before the first game launches, or maybe right after. That gap in between is terrifying because you can see it coming like a train.”
He explains that the Covid-19 pandemic has made this situation worse. While gaming companies briefly allocated funds to fresh projects, over the past two years there has been a wake-up call across the industry that has resulted in mass layoffs, financial problems and a drying up of funds. As a result, Salim explains that companies have become much more cautious about the bets they want to place on fresh games. This includes EA, whose EA Originals imprint published Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, but which did not take on Salim’s next project.
Salim says he understands but disagrees that this is the best strategy. On the contrary, he believes that now is the time for companies to take risks.
“Why would I, as a Call of Duty or Fortnite player, want to leave it and pursue something new when I’ve already established myself in this space?” says. “I totally understand that. It’s like going to your favorite coffee shop or your favorite restaurant. The way you encourage people to go somewhere different and new is by doing something different or new, being bold and creative.
“I think a great example of this is Animal Well. You look at Animal Well and it’s completely unexpected. You didn’t know what you were getting into. And this is the risk the YouTuber took. I think we need to see more of that from people in positions of power and positions of stability.”
Burping
Surgent Studios and Salim have struggled to find funding for Project Uso, but there’s another side to their struggles: harassment. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has been the target of constant racist attacks online, largely targeting the game for its black protagonist and Bantu inspiration. But none of this deterred Salim from proposing Project Uso. On the contrary, he believes it is critical respond directly to such attacks.
“I think the anti-diversity, equity and inclusion movement is about a lack of proper information,” he says. “I think we see a lot of gaps being filled with conspiracy theories, like ticking boxes and things like that, that actually aren’t true when you look at it. And such a dialogue must take place.”
Salim admits that talking directly to bullies can be perilous and is not for everyone. In his view, both sides must enter into discussions in good faith, and bullies often fail to do so. However, he believes that such involvement can change hearts and minds and it is worth doing it for people who can. He adds that at a higher level, companies have an obligation to take even stronger action against harassment.
Although Surgent Studios is currently on hold with Project Uso, Salim believes that the industry will recover from this tough period and he will recover with them. He believes that while video games are both art and business, they are first and foremost art, and “art will always survive.”
“But I think the beauty of games is that conversations and dialogues are so much more open,” he says. “That’s why I feel recovery can happen faster, bolder and more brilliantly than any other art form. And that motivates me, that inspires me. That’s what drives me to keep going, even after everything that’s happened. Because it’s a beautiful space. It really is. And don’t get me wrong, how many times have I wanted to say, “Dude, I should just stay an actor.” I’m taking part in a big TV show. I should feel really comfortable here and do my thing. But there’s something in me that just says, “Nah, man, I wouldn’t be happy.” It’s just not enough.”
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Her posts can be found on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Have a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
