Surgent Studios, the acclaimed team behind Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, is returning with a sharp left turn into psychological horror. Dead Take, a mind-bending thriller set in the glitzy, rotten core of the entertainment industry, officially launches July 31 on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Backed by Pocketpair Publishing (the team behind Palworld), Dead Take blends escape room puzzles, investigative storytelling, and cinematic flair, and it’s brought to life by a truly blockbuster cast.
Cast of Stars
Dead Take features an ensemble of top-tier voice and performance talent, led by:
- Neil Newbon (Baldur’s Gate 3) as Chase Lowry
- Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) as Vinny Monroe
- Jane Perry (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)
- Alanah Pearce (Cyberpunk 2077, V/H/S/Beyond)
And an incredible list of cameos, including:
- Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, FFVII: Rebirth)
- Laura Bailey (The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)
- Travis Willingham, Sam Lake, and CDawgVA
It’s a story about ambition, masks, and the cost of performance, and these actors know the terrain.
What Is Dead Take?
Set in a luxurious Hollywood Hills mansion, Dead Take follows Chase Lowry (Newbon), an actor trying to locate his friend Vinny (Starr) after a high-profile party takes a sinister turn. As Chase digs deeper, he’ll uncover cryptic escape-room puzzles, disturbing truths, and video fragments that splice together a twisted vision of fame, ego, and exploitation.
Players will piece together the mystery using found footage mechanics, solve narrative-driven puzzles, and navigate themes of identity, ambition, and performance. It’s a love letter to and an indictment of the Hollywood machine.
“Dead Take is about actors. So we needed actors who’ve lived it,” said Creative Director Abubakar Salim. “The lies we tell ourselves to get in the spotlight, and the monsters we become to stay there. Everyone in this cast has felt that pressure. This was a chance to bleed it out.”
Release Date and Platforms
- Platform: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
- Release Date: July 31, 2025
You can follow Dead Take and Surgent Studios on X, Bluesky, and via their official site for more updates leading up to release.
