Tales of Kenzera: ZAU News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Metroidvania fans have had their eyes on Tales of Kenzera: Zau ever since its announcement last December, and with its launch approaching, developer Sturgent Studios and publisher EA have made access to it even easier for those who wish to dive in.

Sony has updated the Extra tier of its PlayStation Plus subscription service to add Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, a brand-new, day one release. PlayStation Plus isn't exactly known for its day one releases, especially when compared to Xbox Game Pass, but that doesn't mean that the service is totally without day one games. In fact, numerous day one games have been added to PlayStation Plus over the years.

is a new game that explores the depths of grief, a topic often avoided in and outside of games. Published by EA Originals, Electronic Arts’ indie-focused label, is a project born out of Surgent Studios’ Abubakar Salim’s own journey through grief. The metroidvania was announced at The Game Awards 2023 by Salim himself, who shared a portion of his story and how the game came into being. is an homage to Salim’s late father, Ali Abubakar, who died over 10 years ago from cancer.

Surgent Studios' is a fantastic-feeling Metroidvania that wears its heart on its sleeve. Much of that is due to the studio's (and the game's) lead, Abubakar Salim, who players may recognize as Bayek from He's also become quite a prolific actor, from working on episodes of to starring in and Ridley Scott's This year, he'll be appearing as Alyn of Hull in season 2.

As the first game from Surgent Studios, looks to not only create a new universe for future art to take place in, but also serve as a love letter to Metroidvanias, African culture, and the very act of grieving for deceased loved ones. It's a gorgeous, fully realized world steeped in double meanings, vivid colors, and incredible music. For anyone who has lost a parent, it also hits incredibly close to home.

PlayStation Plus gets a lot of attention for its monthly catalog of rotating titles, but the more persistent library accessible through PS+ Extra and Premium is also a crucial part of the membership. Like Xbox Game Pass, this feature makes it possible to get some major releases on day one without making any individual payment, as well as providing an ever-expanding resource to swell backlogs. So far, 2024 has seen notable additions like and theand remakes, making for an increasingly attractive package.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau will be available as part of the PS Plus Game Catalog from launch day, which is April 23rd. PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers will be able to get their hands of the 2.5D action game without having to wait. The game was first announced during The Game Awards on December 8th, 2023.

Eventually, we all will contend with grief. It can come in many forms and from many different sources. Surgent Studios’ (founded by  Abubakar Salim) debut game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, is a 2.5D story-driven, action-exploration game all about facing those emotions and discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after a devastating loss, and it’s coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog at launch on April 23rd, 2024! (Available with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium memberships).

Microsoft has announced that a new Xbox Partner Preview stream will be taking place this week on Wednesday 6th March at 6PM GMT (1PM ET, 10AM PT). The stream will feature Capcom, EA and Nexon in a 30 minute broadcast with over a dozen new trailers.

Microsoft has announced that a new Xbox Partner Preview stream will be taking place this week on Wednesday 6th March at 6PM GMT (1PM ET, 10AM PT). The stream will feature Capcom, EA and Nexon in a 30 minute broadcast with over a dozen new trailers.

I recently had the pleasure to speak with Abubakar Salim, founder of Surgent Studios and creative director of Tales of Kenzera: Zau, about founding his gaming studio and how his childhood, grief, and becoming a father were essential building blocks in the development of Tales of Kenzera: Zau coming to PS5 April 23. Listen to the full interview below.

There’s plenty of horror in our second selection of upcoming titles. This batch of Most Wanted games coming in 2024 includes impossible moral quandaries in a Frostpunk sequel, straight up narrative horror from the makers of Until Dawn, and the terror of performance anxiety in one of the UK’s best panel game shows…. in VR!

Tales of Kenzaru: ZAU is an action adventure platformer that was announced during The Game Awards. The game is about dealing with loss with the themes of the story drawn from Abubakar Salim’s, founder of Surgent Studios, own experience of life after losing his father. Tales of Kenzaru: ZAU is a roguelike too, so there will be challenges to overcome.

Last night brought a first look at Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a personal project from Abubakar Salim — the voice of Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins and star of HBO's Raised by Wolves.

EA have announced Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a side-scrolling metroidvania from Surgent Studios, the developer founded by voice actor Abubakar Salim. It's being published under the EA Originals label, and is inspired by the myths of African Bantu cultures. It's also something of a memorial project, shaped by Salim's own experiences of grief, though you might not get that impression from the trailer, which is a blaze of magical battles and aerial stunts.

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The Game Awards are packed with eager looks at highly anticipated games, but the ceremony is full of plenty of surprises too. One of them is a flashy Metroidvania called Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the debut game from Surgent Studios.

Every once in a while, we get to see a pretty original game take the stage at The Game Awards 2023. And Tales of Kenzera: ZAU certainly seems like it’s taking a fresh look at its genre inspirations, bringing something new to action-platforming next April.

The next game from EA Originals, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, got a gorgeous first look at today's Game Awards, along with a release date: April 23, 2024.

Developer Surgent Studios has announced its new side-scrolling action game at The Game Awards 2023, focusing quite a bit on the developer’s African heritage for its themes. Titled Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, the trailer shows off quite a bit of the game’s hack-and-slash gameplay, as well as traversal abilities. Check out the trailer below.

The EA Originals label has put out a pretty solid collection of games from smaller indie studios over the years, so there’s always interest in what it’ll have lined up next, and it seems the next game to be released under the label has been leaked.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU from Surgent Studios under the EA Originals labels has supposedly leaked ahead of an official announcement.