Abubakar Salim is presently starring in season 2 of HBO’s Home of the Dragon collection, however alongside his performing deserves, he’s served as the sport director for this yr’s hit Metroidvania, Tales of Kenzera: Zau with Surgent Studios. Sadly, the developer has lately introduced a wave of layoffs amid the rocky state of the gaming trade, however Salim is presently championing these affected of their future endeavors.
Salim is a vocal skilled on social media, steadily voicing his opinion on necessary issues, together with these associated to Zau. Final month, the Surgent founder spoke towards the harassment obtained after the discharge of the studio’s debut title, and he continues to be current throughout Surgent’s layoffs.
Salim Exhibits Help To These Affected By Surgent’s Layoffs
Surgent launched a press release on July 2, 2024, confirming the studio had “joined the rising variety of video games studios impacted by layoffs this yr with simply over a dozen individuals affected”. Addressing the “tough time within the video games trade”, the publish continued “We stay extremely happy with our complete group’s work on Zau” and outlined the studio’s drive to help these affected, proceed work on Zau, and craft “our subsequent inventive initiatives”.
Sentiments poured in from avid gamers on X, highlighting the “implausible mark on the trade with Zau” regardless of some onlookers claiming the layoffs resulted from the sport promoting poorly. Zau presently has “Very Optimistic” evaluations on Steam and has a “Usually Favorable” 76 rating on Metacritic for its “attraction” and skill to delve “into the phases of grief with a constructive outlook in an trade hell-bent on aggrandizing limitless distress”.
In response to the layoffs, Salim reposted the announcement on X saying, “This hurts deeply. This isn’t the information I needed to share at the moment.” The founder expressed his satisfaction for the group during the last 4 years and praised their capacity to face sturdy “when issues received robust”. Salim additionally highlighted the studio’s focus to “proceed supporting these affected in anyway we will”.
Salim was true to his phrase and created a thread with hyperlinks to posts from the affected group members, asking the general public “When you’ve got ANY alternatives obtainable, or know of any going, please contemplate these extremely gifted individuals.”
The founder’s thread included reposts of group members caught within the layoff wave and Salim included his personal sentiments for every particular person highlighting their deserves. Eight former staff had been famous within the thread and Salim confirmed there have been “a number of extra” to acknowledge as soon as they’d time to share.
Salim concluded his thread by saying he has “a lot religion on this trade. I do know persons are struggling, however I do have hope. We simply must hold going.”
We gave Tales of Kenzera: Zau a glowing 9 out of 10 assessment, praising it for being a “Metroidvania like no different” with beautiful visuals and a “highly effective and heartfelt narrative”.
