The creator and lead author of the narrative RPG Disco Elysium has filed a lawsuit against former employer and Disco Elysium developer Studio ZA/UM. The lawsuit comes on the heels of the involuntary removal of several key developers at Studio ZA/UM in early October.
Disco Elysium is a 2019 narrative RPG developed by Studio ZA/UM featuring a strong focus on narrative choice. Taking on the role of an amnesiac detective who wakes up with a hangover and no memories of his past, players work to solve a murder case by interviewing the many eccentric inhabitants of Elysium using an in-depth dialogue tree. The game received high praise from players and critics for its strong storytelling and exploration of philosophical and political themes. Recent reports have highlighted growing tensions between the developers of Disco Elysium and management at Studio ZA/UM, leaving the future of a potential Disco Elysium 2 in limbo.
A recent story from Tech News Space has revealed that Robert Kurvitz, lead designer of Disco Elysium and founding member of Studio ZA/UM, has filed a lawsuit against his former employer in an Estonian court. Although the details of the lawsuit were not disclosed in the filing, it seems likely that the lawsuit could involve issues arising from dissatisfaction with Studio ZA/UM’s new management in recent months. Kurvitz is one of many key developers who have left or been let go from Studio ZA/UM since the release of Disco Elysium, with other departures including the game’s screenwriter, art director, and editor, though recent Studio ZA/UM job postings indicate that the studio is still working on new titles.
Studio ZA/UM was founded as an offshoot from the ZA/UM cultural association, a loosely organized collective of artists, writers, and other creators. Disco Elysium was the first title released by the studio. The studio received funding from venture capitalists to help develop Disco Elysium, which allowed the creative team to deliver their vision of Elysium as intended, but seems to have created a clash of cultures between the artistic and financing sides of the company. Following the ongoing disputes between the business and creative side of Studio ZA/UM, a founding member of the ZA/UM cultural association announced its dissolution in early October.
Disco Elysium was praised for its intelligent and nuanced take on society and class, but it now appears that a real-world class struggle has developed between the artists who created the game and the businesspeople that funded it. While it may take years for this case to work its way through the courts, a philosophical conflict between creatives and business elites seems like the type of scenario that would be right at home in the proposed Disco Elysium TV series.
Disco Elysium is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Tech News Space