Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios has put its development team "on notice for redundancy" as it looks for funding for its next project, the studio has revealed.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Surgent says that while everyone on its team "worked incredibly hard to create Tales of Kenzera: Zau", studio management has decided "to put the work of the Surgent games division on hiatus".
The developer says it's created a prototype for what it says is a "bold new project". Surgent describes its new game as "darker, edgier, and more visceral than [Tales of Kenzera: Zau]", although it still retains that game's "high-octane combat and cultural depth".
Surgent goes on to say that it's currently looking for a publishing partner for this project, a position that's becoming all too common among the indie sphere; recently, Paleo Pines developer Italic Pig revealed that it, too, is seeking a new production partner for a potential Paleo Pines sequel.
The developer also teases "a couple of exciting updates coming down the pipeline" for Tales of Kenzera: Zau, although it doesn't say what those updates are, so you'll have to wait and see to find out what's coming to the game in future.
When asked whether its next project takes place in the same world as Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Surgent said it was "hoping to answer" that question "soon". Sounds like the answer will at the very least be a qualified yes.
Surgent's announcement comes at a trying time for the gaming industry as a whole, with many studios both big and small suffering layoffs, project cancellations, or outright closures.
Whether or not Surgent will suffer the same fate remains to be seen, but given that Zau seems to have failed to make a major impact either critically or commercially, the studio seems to be in a bit of a tight spot. Stay tuned for more.