Game development teams seem to be haemorrhaging staff members right now. 343 Industries looks like it’s leading the charge on this trend, with core team members from the Halo games, including the company’s CEO and founder choosing to duck out.
Sadly, indie game developers aren’t faring much better than their AAA counterparts. One cult favourite game’s team has just taken a massive hit, and with it, there are fears that our hopes of Disco Elysium 2 are going the same way.
What’s Going On With Disco Elysium 2?
A new confirmation from Disco Elysium Art Director Aleksander Rostov tells fans that the ZA/UM studio no longer houses its creators, and that it has now been dissolved. The cultural association-cum-company has been host to the fan-favourite series since it arrived in 2019, but it’s no more according to a new post on Medium.
“The reason for dissolving the cultural organization is that it no longer represents the ethos it was founded on,” reads the post. “People and ideas are meant to be eternal; organizations may well be temporary. I find that the organization was successful overall and most of the mistakes that were made were contingent, determined by the sociocultural conditions we were thrown into.” The post is signed off with love from Martin Luiga – “For a while, it was beautiful. My sincerest thanks to all that have rooted for us.”
In July, ZA/UM made a mention of the next project needing someone with “a love of sci-fi and space,” which got tongues wagging about Disco Elysium 2. With an update from ZA/UM (via PC Gamer), the company responded: “Like any video game, the development of Disco Elysium was and still is a collective effort, with every team member’s contribution essential and valued as part of a greater whole. At this time, we have no further comment to make other than the ZA/UM creative team’s focus remains on the development of our next project, and we are excited to share more news on this with you all soon.”
Fans React To Disco Elysium’s Company Collapsing
Fans truly have no idea what this means for the future of Disco Elysium 2, but it’s clear the fallout of ZA/UM has been a long and arduous process. All fans know is that this isn’t good news – and they’re mourning the potential collapse of the series. Responding to Rostov, one fan wrote, “It’s heartbreaking. Wherever you are and whatever you do, please stay creative and healthy. If there’s anything we can do just let us know. Elysium is YOUR Elysium forever. We love you.”
Another said, “I hope the three of you continue making games, but whatever you want to do, I wish you the best of luck.” Luiga says that he thinks things with the sequel are “actually sweet enough,” adding “You might even get it the way it was meant, it might take a sh*t ton of time but RPG fans are sorta accustomed to waiting, ain’t they.” The future of Disco Elysium is unknown, and fans are rightly devastated. Who knows what’s next for the team – but we’ve got our fingers crossed that they won’t leave their creative medium behind.
