Disco Elysium Developers Reveal Poor Sales Led to Layoffs Despite Game’s Unique Concept

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, the sequel to Disco Elysium from ZA/UM Studio, has garnered significant critical acclaim. Reviewers have praised the game, highlighting its engaging narrative and innovative gameplay. However, despite the positive reception, ZA/UM has reported that financial success has not followed, leading to the difficult decision to implement layoffs.

The studio announced on social media that it has issued redundancy or at-risk notices affecting up to 32 employees across all departments. They are currently collaborating with the labor union to manage the layoff process.

The layoffs mark another challenging chapter for ZA/UM, which has faced turmoil and controversy over the past four years. In 2022, three of the studio’s founders—Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere—revealed they had left the company under contentious circumstances, with claims that the remaining leadership attempted to keep the situation under wraps.

In the aftermath, Kurvitz and Rostov initiated legal action against ZA/UM, alleging that the studio’s leadership had unlawfully taken control of a majority share. This sparked a series of complex legal disputes that were eventually resolved a year later. During this tumultuous period, ZA/UM claimed that the founders were let go due to creating a toxic work environment, with accusations against Kurvitz of attempting to illegally sell the studio’s intellectual property.

It has been disheartening to witness the decline of a studio celebrated for creating one of the most acclaimed narrative games, especially as they aimed to develop a sequel. Following the release of Disco Elysium, ZA/UM canceled several projects, leading to further discontent among remaining staff, many of whom left to establish three new studios, all aspiring to create a worthy successor to Disco Elysium. So far, only Zero Parades has launched, and its achievement is now overshadowed by the recent layoffs, adding an ironic twist to the game’s central themes.