ZA/UM, the studio behind the hit game Disco Elysium, is in the midst of making some major changes. Reports indicate that the studio is planning to lay off about 24 employees, which is roughly a quarter of its workforce. Additionally, an expansion for Disco Elysium, codenamed X7, has been cancelled.
The decision to cancel X7 was reportedly due to the project being one to two years away from completion and requiring significant time and effort. The layoffs will primarily affect staff working on X7, as well as non-development teams and those working on other projects.
This isn’t the first setback for ZA/UM, as the studio has faced controversy in the past. In November 2022, former Disco Elysium developers made explosive allegations against the studio’s new majority shareholder, Tütreke OÜ. They claimed that they were excluded from daily operations, had their employment terminated, and their access to company information cut off after the acquisition.
ZA/UM responded to these allegations by denying fraud and stating that several employees were dismissed due to misconduct. The studio expressed confidence in prevailing in court and defending its employees.
These recent developments mark another challenging chapter for ZA/UM, but the studio remains committed to delivering quality gaming experiences amidst the changes.
