‘House of the Dragon’ Star Abubakar Salim Excels in the Game Industry Too

In 2018, Abubakar Salim, a classically trained stage actor and star of shows like Raised by Wolves and House of the Dragon, discovered a story he needed to tell. He had lost his father to cancer five years earlier and had to become the “man of the house,” which burdened him with grief and responsibility. This weight of loss lingered until an epiphany hit him after completing a particularly tough platforming section in Ori and the Blind Forest. He realized he needed to tell his story through a video game.

“[As a child], I always wanted to tell stories,” Salim reminisced, remembering his youthful enthusiasm for storytelling. His passion led him to make short films with friends during his teens. However, the loss of his father muted this creative drive for some time. The elation he felt after overcoming a challenging game level reminded him of his young self, playing Sonic the Hedgehog and receiving his father’s stern yet proud encouragement. The idea of crafting a video game eulogy for his father became a full-circle moment for him.

But there was one problem: Salim had no clue how to make a video game.

“I ask people questions like ‘So, how do you make a game?’ and they reply ‘Well, do you have concept art?'” He didn’t. “Do you have a company?” He didn’t. Realizing the prerequisites for game development was a steep learning curve. “You know, I’m building as I’m learning,” he shared about bringing Surgent Studios to life.

Salim’s vision for Tales of Kenzera: ZAU kept him motivated amidst the early challenges. With a small team of 15, running on his personal finances, Surgent Studios—initially Silver Rain Games—managed to produce a pitch deck, synopsis, and a playable build of the game’s early concept in a short time frame. His acting skills helped present his nascent studio as AAA-level competent. Despite the administrative hurdles, Salim credits his producer Zoe Brown for steering the ship. “She got this game through the door. She was stellar,” he said.

In 2020, EA signed Surgent under their EA Originals label to ramp up production of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. By early 2024, the side-scrolling action game was released, and Salim remembers this development period with pride. “There was really no conflict when it came to communicating that creative vision to the team,” he shared. Though he relied on gaming analogies for inspiration, his team’s expertise brought his ideas to life.

In navigating the publishing process, Salim found himself learning from industry experts. “It’s like asking carpenters to build your house in three months, and them rightly telling you it will take years,” he reflected. One lesson that stuck with him was from Lead Designer Zi Peters, who used an analogy to clarify the inefficiency of scaling up too quickly: “It takes one woman nine months to make a baby; hiring eight more women won’t finish the baby in a month.”

The game launched in April 2024 to what Salim considers a solid success. “Metacritic. We gotta hit that Metacritic,” he recalled. The early reviews, averaging in the mid-70s, were promising signs. “Never made a game before. First time running a studio. Okay, that’s a good hit!” However, the initial triumph was tempered by ongoing challenges, including pre-order figures and launch sales, which exceeded expectations despite some negative social media attention.

Despite the positive reception, the studio faced setbacks. In July 2024, Surgent was forced to lay off a dozen staff members. “It was heartbreaking, man. Especially when you’ve built this A team over the years,” Salim said. He criticized the game industry’s unsustainable growth cycle, which contrasts with the more stable infrastructure of the film and TV industries where unionization and temporary contracts make transitions smoother.

Salim remains undeterred. By early August, he was actively seeking opportunities for a follow-up to ZAU while balancing film projects and a recurring role at the Critical Role table. When asked if he had any advice for newcomers to game development, he recalled advice from his early acting days: “If you really love this, be prepared to eat beans on toast and water for the rest of your life.”

Source: Particle News