When Disco Elysium launched in 2019 to crucial and business acclaim, some stated it had the best writing ever in a online game. What’s gone on since between the individuals who made it, effectively… you couldn’t make it up.
Five years later, most of the creators of Disco Elysium have struck out on their very own, leaving unique developer ZA/UM behind to both make religious successors or completely different video games completely. You’d suppose everybody could be pleased getting on with the making of their new video games, however lawsuits (each resolved and a few ongoing), authorized threats, and behind-the-scenes finger pointing have added a component of farce to proceedings.
Then final month, a complete of three studios every claiming to be carrying the Disco Elysium torch in a technique or one other popped up out of nowhere on the identical day. What are the possibilities?
Who are the individuals behind these studios? And why, behind the scenes, are they at one another’s throats? What involvement does ZA/UM have, if any? And why is everybody speaking in regards to the canceled Disco Elysium follow-up floating about on a USB stick?
It’s a fancy and messy state of affairs, one I’ve been making an attempt to wrap my head round for the final month. But now I imagine I can supply useful solutions.
The essential participant on this story is Argo Tuulik, one of many unique writers on Disco Elysium and co-founder of recent studio Summer Eternal. Tuulik resigned from ZA/UM earlier this 12 months (Tuulik confirmed to IGN that he resigned, versus being fired or being made redundant as has been reported). He did so, he stated, earlier than a disciplinary listening to throughout which he anticipated to be terminated. Why? Because, he alleged, of statements he gave to the press about redundancies at ZA/UM that adopted the February cancelation of the standalone follow-up to Disco Elysium, codenamed X7. Tuulik was one of many key creatives behind X7 earlier than it fell by the wayside.
If he had survived that assembly, Tuulik suspected he would have been made redundant, he advised IGN. “It was an ‘unemployed man strolling’-type of state of affairs both manner,” he stated.
Enter Dark Math Games and Longdue Games, two new London-based studios with former Disco Elysium workers every engaged on a special religious successor of their very own. Tech entrepreneur Riaz Moola, one other important participant on this story, based Longdue by way of his firm CoGrammar, and is an investor in Dark Math, so has a stake in each firms’ success.
IGN understands Tuulik and fellow Summer Eternal co-founder and former ZA/UM developer Dora Klindžić labored at each CoGrammar and Dark Math this 12 months, however left every studio after a brief interval below a cloud. In the case of CoGrammar, Tuulik resigned. Tuulik left Dark Math after the corporate declined to resume his contract, IGN understands.
Dark Math is helmed by Kaur Kender, an early investor in ZA/UM and govt producer of Disco Elysium. In March 2023, a bitter authorized dispute between Kender and ZA/UM over possession of the coveted Disco Elysium IP was resolved, with a courtroom ordering Kender to repay ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus for authorized charges. Dark Math’s recreation is known as XXX NIGHTSHIFT and, like Disco Elysium, is described as a ‘true detective RPG.’ It appears to be like remarkably like Disco Elysium.
Longdue, nevertheless, hasn’t named its “new psychological RPG” or the vast majority of the individuals making it. But it’s already embroiled in a confrontation with Tuulik that has spilled out into the general public area.
Events ramped up when Tuulik publicly revealed authorized motion towards him by ZA/UM, and towards he and Klindžić by Riaz Moola’s CoGrammar. On the latter, CoGrammar efficiently obtained an injunction within the Business and Property courts of England and Wales on the idea of breach of contract, stopping Argo and Dora from engaged on something at Summer Eternal — Disco Elysium religious successor or in any other case — till April 2025.
Tuulik then accused ZA/UM of creating “baseless” authorized threats towards him, and for “collaborating” with Moola to take him, Dora, Summer Eternal, and even Dark Math on. Tuulik has denied any battle with Dark Math.
“I by no means wished to make Disco once more however the absurdity of somebody fully unrelated to Disco being granted the safety of the excessive courtroom of their religious successor pursuit is just not misplaced on me,” Tuulik advised IGN.
It’s price making an attempt to unpack all of this. So, what breach of contract is Tuulik speaking about with regards CoGrammar? According to documentation reviewed by IGN, Tuulik served CoGrammar together with his discover of resignation on September 23, 2024, together with his final day on September 30. Tuulik was working for CoGrammar as a marketing consultant on Longdue’s recreation.
CoGrammar advised IGN it provided to launch Tuulik and Klindžić from contractual restrictions that block the pair from working for one more studio, and even one in all their very own, for a six-month interval after leaving the corporate. However, CoGrammar alledge, Tuulik and Klindžić declined to signal CoGrammar’s launch contract, which additionally included clauses that will have confirmed the pair did not nonetheless have IP belonging to the corporate, and a dedication to not speak about one another within the press (an End of Service, Non Communication, and Release Of Portion of Restraint of Trade contract).
Soon after, as IGN has reported, Tuulik and Klindžić introduced Summer Eternal and revealed plans to develop a brand new recreation on the identical day Longdue and Dark Math introduced their initiatives.
CoGrammar / Longdue issued a press release of its personal in response to Tuulik’s tweets in regards to the courtroom case. It is reproduced in full under:
Following public feedback made by Argo Tuulik, we will verify that an impartial choose has dominated in Longdue’s favor in a courtroom listening to over per week in the past. We have tried to cope with this matter privately for the sake of everybody concerned, however given Argo’s public feedback we really feel it’s needed to answer make clear some key information.
Argo Tuulik was part of Longdue’s staff within the early days of Longdue’s formation, in addition to beforehand Dark Math. However, as a studio, we’ve since grown in a course that didn’t align together with his strategy.
We are a staff that values integrity and honoring agreements, and as such, we had been disenchanted to see Argo breach agreements we had in place after leaving Longdue. Longdue continued to make makes an attempt to settle issues amicably with Argo privately regardless of these breaches. These efforts had been repeatedly rebuffed, leaving Longdue with no different choice however to ask the courts to intervene. An impartial choose has dominated in our favor.
Finding ourselves on this place is disheartening. We didn’t wish to take authorized motion and we didn’t need this to turn out to be public for the sake of everybody concerned. However, there are occasions when taking motion is critical to guard our work, the staff we’ve constructed, and the agreements we’ve made.
Our purpose from the outset was to maneuver past the conflicts which have adopted the people who labored on Disco Elysium since its launch by supporting and uplifting one another as a group of studios making nice RPGs. That stays the case and we hope to settle this matter amicably with Argo so that everybody can transfer ahead.Given Argo’s feedback, we wish to make clear that ZA/UM was on no account concerned on this authorized motion. This authorized motion was taken due to agreements between Argo and Longdue that had been damaged by Argo. Any authorized dispute Argo could have with ZA/UM is a matter for these two events.
We respect the contributions of Argo throughout Longdue’s early phases, and we hope followers will proceed to assist all studios which were impressed by narrative-rich RPG video games akin to Disco Elysium and Planescape Torment.
Thank you to everybody who has proven assist for Longdue. We will proceed to create a studio setting that fosters creativity, collaboration, and respect as we stay centered on crafting impactful, significant RPGs for our gamers.
That’s Longdue / CoGrammar, however what about ZA/UM? Tuulik additionally made public a letter dated October 10 by legal professionals representing ZA/UM, or, to provide it its full enterprise identify, Zaum Studio Limited, that features a authorized grievance. It alleges breach of contract, breach of confidentiality, and copyright infringement. This isn’t a discover of a lawsuit, nevertheless it sounds extraordinarily critical. So, what’s all of it about?
Multiple sources at Longdue / CoGrammar and Dark Math, talking anonymously to guard their careers, have advised IGN that Tuulik allegedly demoed the canceled Disco Elysium follow-up, codenamed X7, to workers by way of a USB stick containing a playable, 20-minute construct. Speaking to IGN, Tuulik denied the accusation, calling it “absurd.”
A ZA/UM consultant issued IGN with the next assertion:
ZA/UM’s solely communication with Mr. Tuulik has been a typical authorized discover — not a lawsuit and issued solely after third events alerted us — relating to the return and destruction of confidential recreation supplies. While Mr. Tuulik was a big contributor, these supplies characterize the collaborative work of many builders and weren’t licensed for exterior use.
As if that wasn’t wild sufficient, this story solely will get weirder from right here. As I’ve talked about, Tuulik and Klindžić’s contract with Dark Math, the place they had been recreation director and narrative director on XXX NIGHTSHIFT, wasn’t renewed, so each left the corporate and went on to work for CoGrammar. IGN has seen documentation dated July 2024 confirming the termination of the contracts “attributable to artistic variations.” But why?
IGN can reveal that whereas at Dark Math, Tuulik accused Kaur Kender of exhibiting bare images of Kender’s ex-wife to him and different workers on the studio. Tuulik confirmed to IGN he made this allegation. However, Kender – and different Dark Math workers IGN has spoken to – denied that Kender’s ex-wife appeared bare within the images. Rather, she was sporting a bikini in some and totally clothed in others.
But why do that within the first place? Sources say Kender allegedly wished the images of his ex-wife to behave as real-life inspirations for characters in XXX NIGHTSHIFT. However, Tuulik alleged internally that the images included bare photos of Kender’s ex-wife, a sequence of occasions that contributed to the top of Tuulik and Klindžić’s time at Dark Math.
Dark Math issued IGN with the next assertion: “Dark Math Games won’t be commenting on the previous. We are focusing our vitality and passions on the event of XXX Nightshift and look ahead to sharing extra on the sport in the end.”
All this leaves these Disco Elysium religious successors in a precarious place. And I haven’t even talked about Red Info, the studio arrange by the 2 essential artistic forces behind Disco Elysium: lead author Robert Kurvitz and artwork director Aleksander Rostov. Both had been fired from ZA/UM in 2022 amid allegations of mismanagement and misconduct. Kurvitz and Rostov are reportedly making a brand new recreation of their very own at Red Info, which is backed by Chinese web firm NetEase.
As for Tuulik and Klindžić, they face a six-month wait till they’re legally allowed to work on Summer Eternal and its recreation. What’s clear is 2024 has been notably turbulent for the pair. They left three studios below lower than ideally suited circumstances simply this 12 months alone, after only a few months within the case of two. Tuulik, who former colleagues describe as massively gifted however at occasions troublesome to work with, pointed to PC Gamer’s reporting, which referred to as each he and Klindžić “considerate, skilled collaborators” throughout their time at ZA/UM.
Meanwhile, the way forward for Disco Elysium remains to be up within the air. Rights holder ZA/UM has but to announce a brand new recreation within the sequence, or any new recreation in any respect. Longdue has issued one piece of idea artwork for its religious successor. Dark Math’s XXX NIGHTSHIFT has a trailer and screenshots, which makes it at the very least really feel tangible. Red Info hasn’t stated a phrase all through all this.
Like Disco Elysium itself, these firms are combating to win the hearts and minds of gamers as behind-the-scenes drama spills out into the general public area. Perhaps, given the chaotic scenes that adopted ZA/UM after Disco Elysium’s launch, issues had been all the time going to go this fashion.
The query is, who will get Disco Elysium religious successor to market first? And after they do, will there be any group left to care?
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
