Studio Surgical Scalpels

Studio Surgical Scalpels is a Chinese independent game development studio established in August 2015 by a group of what their website refers to as "three crazy FPS fans". The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and focuses on creating first-person shooter (FPS) games for PC and console platforms.

The studio's sole publicly known project is "Boundary," a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter set in zero-gravity space. First revealed as "Project Boundary" in July 2016 at the PlayStation China press conference, the game was part of Sony's China Hero Project, an initiative to promote and globally market games from Chinese developers. In "Boundary," players take on the roles of armed astronauts, called Astroperators, engaging in 5v5 team battles in three-dimensional environments like debris fields and space stations. The gameplay is likened to dogfighting, where movement and positioning in zero-gravity are critical. The game features customization options for space suits and a modular upgrade system for a wide range of weapons.

"Boundary" launched in early access on PC via Steam on April 13, 2023, and sold over 100,000 copies within the first 24 hours. The game was published internationally by Skystone Games and by Huya in the Greater China region. However, in June 2024, Skystone Games announced it would cease publishing the game, citing a lack of updates from the developer. Studio Surgical Scalpels contested this, describing the decision as sudden and stating they were attempting to regain operational rights and unpaid income from the publisher. Following the dispute, the game was shut down in 2024 and is currently unavailable for purchase. The studio has expressed its commitment to preserving player data and eventually re-launching the game.

Keywords: first-person shooter, game development, zero-gravity combat, multiplayer, PC gaming, console gaming, tactical shooter, space combat, early access, Astroperator