Developer of legendary CRPG thinks the team behind the beloved hit is gone forever, and that the company "will forever stay a one game studio"
Feb. 16, 2024“The individuals of ZA/UM have left the corporate body behind”
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The developer behind one of the best CRPGs of modern times is destined to become “a one-game studio,” according to its final writer remaining at the company.
Now, in a new report byGLHF, Argo Tuulik, the last remaining writer remaining at the studio to have worked on Disco Elysium - himself in line to lose his job - says that he thinks ZA/UM “will forever stay a one-game studio.” Tuulik says that “the individuals of ZA/UM, the cultural movement, have left the corporate body behind like the King Cobra slithering out of its dead skin.”
Tuulik continues with little regard for the studio leadership, saying that “it’s the people on top - the motherfuckers in sailing shoes and bowties - that fucked Harry, fucked Kim, […] fucked Elysium, fucked you and me too. They are not artists, they are professional fuckers.”
At the heart of ZA/UM’s difficulties areallegations that shares in the studio were fraudulently purchased in order to acquire a majority stake in the company. Before it developed Disco Elysium, ZA/UM was a creative collective, but the new investment in the studio appears to have pushed for a far greater return than those creative foundations were built to provide. That’s led to cancellations and departures across the studio, which appears to have gutted its creative soul. Tuulik’s statement suggests that the creative force behind the game has moved on and may create together in the future under a new name, but that despite its incredible debut, the studio itself is likely to never produce another game.
Disco Elysium deserves its spot on our list of thebest RPGs.
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I’m GamesRadar’s news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I’ve run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam’s latest indie hit.
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