Abubakar Salim, founder of Surgent Studios and director of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, has taken to social media to address the "constant targeted harassment" levelled at him and his team since the game's launch on 23rd April 2024.
In a video posted to Twitter clocking in at just under five and a half minutes, he states that the constant criticism from people who "see diversity as a threat" has now "reached this fever pitch." He goes on to promote the inclusion of diverse stories and characters in games, stating, "If there are people who aren't like you in a game, I want you to know that that game is still for you."
You can watch the whole video below:
"The goalposts continue to shift until me, my studio, and people who look like us just sit down, be quiet, and just accept the fact that you're outsiders - but I won't do that."
"[Games] have this potential to have this profound impact on not only the people who make them, but who play them. I really believe that games are for everyone. That's why I insisted on setting ZAU's cost at the price of a pizza."
Citing his commitment to exposing ZAU to as many people as possible, he also announced a discount for the game on Switch to $14.99 in the US down from $19.99, noting Nintendo's fast response in actioning the sale.
Salim mentions in the video that the discount will be active until "the end of June", although the official eShop page currently states that it will end on 20th June 2024. Furthermore, subsequent posts from Salim seem to suggest that the price drop may be permanent. We've reached out to EA for clarification on this. It's also worth noting that the discount isn't available in Europe at the time of writing.
In our review, we said that Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is "a decent game, but it sits in the shadow of much better Metroidvanias on the Switch," noting that the storyline and setting are worth the price of admission, but the exploration and combat can often feel a bit repetitive. Check out our full thoughts in the article below.