The Fractured Legacy: Navigating the New Worlds from Disco Elysium’s Visionaries

Disco Elysium wasn`t just a game; it was a phenomenon, a brooding, philosophical masterpiece that redefined what an RPG could be. Its deep narrative, unique skill system, and unforgettable world of Revachol captivated millions. Such a singular creation could never truly stand alone. Yet, the story of its succession is less a grand, unified saga and more a dramatic tale of divergence, fueled by ambition, betrayal, and the unyielding spirit of creation. After a tumultuous internal split, the architects of Disco Elysium dispersed, each now attempting to forge new paths, or perhaps, reconstruct fragments of a lost vision. Let`s delve into the emerging landscape of games vying to carry the torch, or simply light their own.

The Great Schism: A Corporate Coup and Creative Exodus

To understand the myriad studios now orbiting the legacy of Disco Elysium, we must first revisit the seismic event that shattered ZA/UM, the Estonian collective behind the original game. Founded by the visionary Robert Kurvitz and his closest compatriots around 2005, ZA/UM meticulously crafted the game we know today. By 2016, securing initial funding transformed them into an independent London-based studio, culminating in Disco Elysium`s acclaimed 2019 release. Awards, revenue, and global recognition followed—a triumph seemingly complete.

However, the euphoria proved fleeting. By late 2021, key creative forces — Kurvitz, art director Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere — departed ZA/UM under contentious circumstances. It later emerged that Ilmar Kompus, the CEO and an investor, had allegedly executed a fraudulent maneuver, acquiring a controlling stake in the studio using its own funds, effectively `seizing` control. Kurvitz and his colleagues found themselves ousted. What ensued were legal battles, internal restructuring, and a significant exodus of talent unwilling to continue under the new leadership. From these ashes, several new studios arose: Longdue, Dark Math Games, Summer Eternal, Red Info, and, of course, the reconfigured ZA/UM itself.

The Successors Emerge: New Horizons from Familiar Minds

ZA/UM (The Original, Re-forged) and Zero Parades

Paradoxically, the very entity at the heart of the original drama, ZA/UM, is perhaps the furthest along in producing a spiritual successor. This isn`t entirely surprising. Retaining significant resources, including executive producer Tõnis Haavel and a portion of the intellectual rights (thanks to that contentious financial scheme), ZA/UM could support remaining talent like Justin Keenan (writer) and Eduardo Rubio (animator) while recruiting new blood. Under the helm of Edward Tomaszewski, who became president in November 2022, the studio has shifted towards a more structured, results-driven production model. It’s less about Kurvitz’s avant-garde cultural collective and more about, well, making games – a distinct, if somewhat sterile, evolution.

Their upcoming title, Zero Parades (formerly Project X, slated for 2026), stars Herschel Wilk, a spy whose touch turns objects to ash. Haunted by a five-year-old failure, she`s on a mysterious mission to prove herself. Plot-wise, it evokes the weary espionage and redemption themes of a good spy thriller. Stylistically, Zero Parades remains strikingly faithful to Disco Elysium: isometric perspective, skill checks, and that distinctive art direction. Developers highlight a unique `pressure system` that impacts Herschel’s physical and psychological state, with player choices potentially penalizing skills that contradict the character`s core ideology. It`s an intriguing evolution, promising familiar mechanics with a refined, perhaps even optimized, design.

Dark Math Games (The Antarctic Detective Story) and Tangerine Antarctic

Moving to a colder climate, we find Dark Math Games, a smaller studio founded by Timo Albert, a motion designer from Disco Elysium, alongside Kaur Kender (an ex-ZA/UM investor, though his brother Heiti Kender now directs). Comprising roughly twenty developers, half of whom are ZA/UM veterans, this team has set its sights on the frosty frontier of 2086 Antarctica.

Their game, Tangerine Antarctic (previously Project C, release date not announced), drops players into a ski resort where they investigate a crime as a patrol operative. The official description playfully suggests players can spend their polar nights `unraveling terrible murders, breaking sacred hearts, or just killing time.` While initially echoing Disco Elysium`s isometric view and narrative depth, recent developments have seen Tangerine Antarctic pivot to a third-person RPG perspective, promising a non-linear detective plot and a distinctive role-playing system. Crucially, it pledges `much more fun` than Harry Du Bois`s famously bleak descent into self-discovery. A bold claim, considering the competition!

Longdue (The Psycho-Geographical Puzzle) and its Untitled CRPG

Then there`s Longdue, a studio whose very foundation carries a touch of intrigue. Its founder, Riaz Moola, a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 tech entrepreneur, initially brought in ZA/UM veterans like Martin Luiga (writer) and Piotr Sobolewski (gameplay mechanics). Though Argo Tuulik`s tenure was brief and ended in a legal spat – resulting in a development ban for him until April 2025 – Longdue has assembled an impressive roster. Pawel Blaszczak (composer for The Witcher 3), Lenval Brown (voice of Martin from Disco Elysium), and Ben Babbitt (co-writer of Kentucky Route Zero) are all on board. Crowdfunding efforts on platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have fueled this venture.

Longdue`s untitled isometric CRPG, projected for 2028, aims for a rich, branching narrative, complex characters, and an `unpredictable world.` Players assume the role of an `outcast journalist,` a `chaotic, self-destructive provocateur` uncovering truths in a mining town on the precipice. The standout promise is a `psycho-geographical CRPG` where the environment itself dynamically shifts in response to player choices. It’s a concept as intriguing as it is ambitious, suggesting a truly immersive world reactive to one`s moral compass.

Summer Eternal (The Cooperative Dream, and Legal Headaches)

Argo Tuulik, another former Disco Elysium writer, founded Summer Eternal. This studio, however, appears to be more a declaration of principles than a bustling development house, at least for now. Its core tenet, developed in partnership with Slovenia`s Institute of Economic Democracy, is a `cooperative structure` where `every worker is a board member` – a horizontal economic model championing radical equality. However, the reality, as is often the case, is a touch more prosaic: Summer Eternal Ltd, registered in London, is wholly owned and directed by Argo Tuulik himself.

Given Tuulik`s legal injunction – preventing development activities until April 1, 2025 (stemming from that conflict with Longdue) – Summer Eternal has only recently begun active work. While concrete game details are scarce, the sheer ideological ambition behind its formation, coupled with its roster of former ZA/UM talent (including Dora Klinjic, Olga Moskvina, Anastasia Ivanova, and Michael Oswell), makes it a project to watch for future news, if not imminent releases.

Red Info (The Authentic Core, Whispers in the Wind)

Finally, we arrive at Red Info, perhaps the most anticipated, yet most mysterious, of all these splinter groups. Formed in March 2025, it reunites the undisputed core of Disco Elysium`s creative vision: Robert Kurvitz (author), Aleksander Rostov (artist), and Helen Hindpere (writer). After the acrimonious split and subsequent loss of intellectual property rights at ZA/UM, Kurvitz`s path led to continued legal skirmishes and, ultimately, a fresh start. Backed by Chinese investor NetEase, this trio represents the most direct lineage to Disco Elysium`s original creative spark.

As of now, Red Info officially has no announced game in development, and no release date is public. Information remains largely in the realm of rumor, with no official interviews or concrete statements from the studio`s founders. Yet, the sheer weight of their collective talent – the very minds that birthed Martinaise and its unforgettable inhabitants – fuels fervent speculation. Whatever they may be brewing, the industry watches with bated breath, hoping the magic of their past creation can be rekindled, or transformed into something entirely new and equally profound.

The Future of Narrative RPGs: A Fragmented but Exciting Landscape

The aftermath of Disco Elysium`s unprecedented success and subsequent internal strife has sown a fascinating, if fragmented, future. From the corporate-refined Zero Parades at ZA/UM, to the genre-bending Tangerine Antarctic, the ambitious `psycho-geographical` CRPG from Longdue, Summer Eternal`s ideological cooperative, and the enigmatic Red Info housing the original trio, the spirit of narrative-driven, thought-provoking RPGs is clearly alive and well. Each studio, in its own way, carries a piece of Disco Elysium`s DNA, whether through its creators, its mechanics, or its sheer ambition.

The question isn`t if we`ll see more games in this unique vein, but which of these new ventures will successfully recapture the magic, and more importantly, carve out their own indelible mark on the gaming landscape. The stage is set for a fascinating battle of wills and visions, and we, the players, are the ultimate beneficiaries.