Around 24 employees are at risk of being laid off. 

According to recent reports, Disco Elysium, an RPG developed by ZA/UM, will not see a standalone expansion as the developer has reportedly canceled it.

The gaming division of Sports Illustrated wrote ZA/UM had canceled an upcoming standalone expansion, codenamed X7, because the game was time-consuming, and it could've taken more time than developing Disco Elysium itself. Sports Illustrated's sources also mentioned that the project "was one to two years away from completion."

As the project got canceled, ZA/UM's employees were at risk of being laid off. Based on insider information, the studio will reportedly downsize approximately 25% of its staff, which is 24 people, including writers and engineers, as well as "3D, 2D, and technical artists, production, IT, and animation employees company-wide."

Sports Illustrated's source attributed the situation to ZA/UM management, who were described as behaving as though they had enemies and therefore didn't appreciate their current employees. Another stated that the studio "turned into the very thing that Disco Elysium was against. Brilliant people work there and I want only the best for them but [...] I hope it's somewhere else."

Previously, ZA/UM was involved in some notorious incidents connected to the firing of the creators of Disco Elysium Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere, and how in 2022, new majority shareholder Tütreke OÜ obtained control over the studio by fraud. 

You can read Sports Illustrated's report here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.