Summary
Disco Elysiumwas a huge hit, but since then, developer ZA/UM hasn’t been able to put another game out, save Disco Elysium: The Final Cut in 2021. As we now know, things were a mess behind the scenes, withthree key figures behind the original game pushed out of the companytwo years ago. This led toa legal dispute, which hasheld up the development of Disco Elysium 2. Couple that with somelayoffs that reportedly led to an expansion being cancelled, and it’s safe to assume we won’t be getting that sequel anytime soon.
However, that doesn’t mean that the people who made Disco Elysium aren’t interested in developing new games. Yesterday, within the space of 24 hours,threenew projects from former Disco Elysium devs were revealed - all coming from three different studios.
Three New Studios Formed By Former Disco Elysium Developers
First up, we have Longdue Games Studios,who we covered yesterday morning. This 12-person studio is made up of some former ZA/UM devs, with others coming fromBungieandRockstar. Its debut game will be a “psychogeographic RPG”, with the studio naming Ultima and Fallout as its inspirations.
Then, Dark Math Games emerged. However, this reveal had much more to show for itself, already having a trailer for its first game, XXX Nightshift. Unsurprisingly, it’s very, very reminiscent of Disco Elysium, as the trailer focuses on its narrative and dialogue system.
After this, just as many of us were reeling from two Disco Elysium successors hitting the scene, anotherwas revealed. In perhaps the most fitting fashion, the studio Summer Eternal revealed itself to the world alongside amanifesto, referring to the struggles that workers are facing in the gaming industry right now.
“We recognize we are writing the opening words of our story at a time of apocalyptic material conditions for game creators across the world,” reads a statement on Summer Eternal’s website. “Our art has been dressed down into an industry, and this industry has been pilfered by corrupt executives, by the vulgar profiteering of corporate bodies moving like leviathans in the dark, burning human fuel in their insatiable lust for money.
“It is not pencil-pushers and moneylenders who make games. It is the relentless passion of the workers that creates an art form capable of saying something true.”
Summer Eternal says it will work on an RPG with “complexity and ambition” that rivals our “wretched and wonderful world.” It remains to be seen what this game ends up looking like.
Of course, ZA/UM still exists, so we might see something from that studio too. Then, there’s another studio formed by two of the leads who were pushed out of ZA/UM, kicking this all off in the first place. For those of you keeping track at home, that’sfiveprojects coming from the wreckage of ZA/UM as we once knew it, although we haven’t seen much of any of them just yet.
Disco Elysium
WHERE TO PLAY
Disco Elysium first launched in 2019 and sees you play the role of a detective investigating a murder. Critically acclaimed for its themes, art style, and largely combat-free gameplay, with a more complete version of the game, The Final Cut, launched in 2021.
