Media: studio ZA/UM cancels Disco Elysium add-on, fires a quarter of its staff and has huge problems
Despite the tremendous success of the Disco Elysium role-playing game, ZA/UM studio is mired in scandals, internal controversies, mutual accusations and litigation.
Almost all the key developers left ZA/UM studio, but it didn't stop the negative processes.
Here's What We Know
GLHF portal, citing its own sources close to ZA/UM, reported that even bigger problems are brewing in the Estonian company.
According to insider information:
- The studio has cancelled the project codenamed X7 - which was a standalone add-on for Disco Elysium. Development of X7 could have taken another two years, but would have required additional resources, which ZA/UM didn't have;
- the studio had previously cancelled a sequel to Disco Elysium and a sci-fi game based on the new franchise;
- the company is looking to lay off 24 people - that's one-fourth of the team. These will mostly be those who worked on the Disco Elysium add-on (X7).
Meanwhile, ZA/UM continues to work on two projects, one of which is a game based on the Disco Elysium universe, but not its sequel.
The GLHF insider claims that the main cause of problems at ZA/UM is inept executives who make rash decisions and create a toxic environment in the team. According to the insider, ZA/UM has many talented developers on its team, but they are not allowed to discover themselves or provide creative freedom, and instead of rewarding their employees with promotions, they hire completely new people. In addition, according to an unnamed source, gender inequality is rampant in the studio.
Recall, the Scandal gathers pace: Unfairly dismissed leading game designer of Disco Elysium sues ZA/UM studio management, when the company's management fired several key developers of Disco Elysium for spurious reasons: lead game designer Robert Kurvitz, screenwriter Helen Hidnpere and lead designer Aleksander Rostov.
Flashback
Disco Elysium was released in 2019 and received top marks, rave reviews from critics and surprised gamers with an unusual concept and great technical execution. It would be a pity if such an unconventional and philosophical game will not get a sequel.
Source: GLHF
