Pocketpair launches publishing label to help indie devs fund their games and "pursue their dreams"

Pocketpair is expanding its business by launching a publishing label. The Palworld developer plans to partner with other indie studios to help them fund and distribute their games.

Pocketpair Publishing aims to assist indie game devs and small studios with funding, as well as production and publishing services, the studio announced on January 23.

There is no information about contract terms, but Pocketpair says it won’t impose strict conditions on the development process or take control from the creators. Developers can pitch their game on the official website.

“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,” Pocketpair Publishing head John Buckley said in a statement. “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.”

The company has already signed its first project, an upcoming horror game from Surgent Studios expected to launch in 2025.

Founded by voice actor Abubakar Salim, Surget Studios is a UK-based developer known for last year’s story-driven metroidvania Tales of Kenzera: Zau. However, the company had to put its game development team on notice of redundancy following the game’s weaker-than-expected results.

So the new partnership with Pocketpair will allow the studio to fund and release its next project. “We noticed a pattern in the entertainment industry, and Pocketpair has given us the opportunity to make a horror game about it,” Salim said. “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.

It is worth noting that Surgent is now also working on Project Uso, an “Afro-Gothic” action RPG inspired by games like Planescape: Torment. Last year, the team told VGC that it was “looking for a funding partner to bring it to life.” According to Salim, the studio is still “in earliest conversation” about future projects set in the Tales of Kenzera universe, so it is unclear who will fund or publish Project Uso.