Despite its youth, Disco Elysium is considered one of the best games of all time. An exceptional CRPG that has established itself as a great entry-level classic. Unfortunately, nothing is going well in the studio.
To say that Disco Elysium made a splash when it released on PC in 2019 is an understatement. It received a 10/10 in our columns, which is quite simply a masterpiece. “One of the best role-playing games of all time”. Console gamers can now also enjoy experiencing it. But the future of the license and the developers is more than at risk.
Between cancellations and layoffs for the Disco Elysium Studio
News about ZA/UM, the studio of Disco Elysium, are not good at all. A few hours ago, GLHF media outlet Sports Illustrated threw a spanner in the works. According to their sources, the company’s managers have decided to cancel another project. An expansion called “X7” that should have been a massive standalone DLC for Disco Elysium. And the CEO would have laid off a quarter of the workforce, i.e. around 24 employees. And unfortunately, this is not a false rumor.
Since its publication, former collaborators such as screenwriters Argo Tuulik and Dora Klindžić have come out of silence. And both describe a toxic and unstable situation. “The last two months of the canceled Disco Elysium expansion have been full of crises, burnout and conflict.” (via Eurogamer) said Dora Klindžić. Worse still, those most affected by these layoffs are those who denounce intolerable working conditions. According to him, employees received a letter with a note referring to these layoffs.
“What remains of ZA/UM is a cold, neglectful society where leaders have waged war on their own creatives. A business in which art is secondary and one’s own audience is arrogantly disregarded. added Argo Tuulik, the screenwriter of Disco Elysium (via videogames.si).
To further darken the picture, Tuulik reports that sexism is very present, with no place for women in important positions. Some would have capitulated when the game was released, others would have been pressured into leaving. In addition to the cancellation of this expansion, Disco Elysium 2 would have been canceled in 2022, and a new franchise would also have been abandoned in 2023.
