Disco Elysium workers mumble rival projects from used colleagues are “friendly competition”

As Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM continues to shape its espionage-themed project C4, employees discussed the amicable rivalry with competing initiatives from developers who have left the company in light of turbulent legal battles.

Notable team members from ZA/UM departed in 2021 amidst multiple lawsuits filed against the studio, which have since been settled. In the aftermath, several new studios emerged, launching projects all claiming to be spiritual successors to Disco Elysium, including Longdue with its “psychogeographic RPG” Hopetown, and XXX Nightshift by Dark Math Games, a developer that identifies itself as a “breakaway group from the original Disco Elysium development team”.

ZA/UM is currently invested in creating C4, as well as a mobile adaptation of Disco Elysium aimed at “captivating the TikTok audience”. I had the opportunity to speak with lead producer Ruudu Ulas and primary writer Siim (Kosmos) Sinamäe at this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC).

“This, let’s say, situation has genuinely shaped the character of the team positively,” stated Sinamäe. “Every artist encounters specific challenges in their creative journey. This is what enhances their abilities.”

“Of course, I am genuinely looking forward to seeing what each studio that has emerged from ZA/UM will present in the coming months and years,” added Ulas.

I inquired if there was a sense of friendly rivalry among the studios. “For us, it’s always perceived as friendly competition,” remarked Sinamäe. “We aren’t overly focused on what other writers or studios are up to… how can I improve my own skills? Ultimately, we are competing primarily against ourselves in terms of whether we can push our limits further. Do we need to make any compromises? I believe it distinctly distinguishes us.”

What distinguishes a ZA/UM game? For Ulas, it’s the diverse array of individuals with different talents that gives the team its uniqueness. “We have many individuals who come from various backgrounds, not solely in gaming,” she explained. “I was trained as a contemporary artist, and we have team members with backgrounds in fashion and traditional 2D art, among others.”

“Collaboration is what sets us apart, I believe, as well as navigating through these trying and challenging times as a studio, growing as a team along the way. Each morning, when I log in to start my work, that is what drives me.”

During a presentation, the duo showcased the contrasting subjective and objective realms of C4, each possessing its unique artistic style and gameplay elements. The objective realm, for example, involves a grey overlay as the player character tests his vision, while the subjective realm is filled with surreal art to convey the player’s psychology.

Indeed, with C4, the team aims to…