Take one take a look at Zero Parades: For Lifeless Spies, the upcoming RPG from ZA/UM, and you may instantly see the similarities between it and the studio’s earlier recreation, Disco Elysium. It’s an isometric recreation with a hanging artwork type, that includes dialogue-heavy gameplay the place conversations are displayed vertically on the right-hand aspect of the display.
Take a better look and there are much more similarities. There’s a “Conditioning” system that replicates a lot of the capabilities of Disco Elysium’s distinctive Thought Cupboard. Its story goals to be deeply political and introspective. After which there’s the abilities system, which manifests as a sentient internal monologue, commenting in your decisions and the world round you.
For some Disco Elysium followers, this overlap could really feel uneasy. In 2022, recreation director Robert Kurvitz and artwork director Aleksander Rostov – creatives key to the look, really feel, and imaginative and prescient of the celebrated RPG – had been amongst quite a few workers who left the studio in an “involuntary” method. ZA/UM claimed they had been fired for misconduct, whereas Kurvitz and Rostov accused the firm’s majority shareholders of fraud. Many followers imagine these fired to be victims of company conspiracy. Those self same followers could now be involved to see the studio constructing a Disco Elysium successor based mostly on such comparable design foundations with out the involvement of these unique creatives.
In a latest interview, IGN mentioned these considerations with Jim Ashilevi, author and VO director at ZA/UM, and requested why the studio didn’t think about discovering a brand new course for Zero Parades.
“I believe it will have made sense for us to go in a very totally different course if the complete group was comprised of recent expertise,” Ashilevi mentioned. “However since such numerous the key gamers that constructed Disco Elysium are right here to construct Zero Parades, it simply did not make sense for us to simply disregard that a part of our expertise as newbie recreation makers and begin studying new methods of telling tales.”
ZA/UM’s head of studio, Allen Murray, estimates that round 35% of the studio’s present workers roster is made up of people that labored on both the unique model of Disco Elysium or the expanded “Remaining Lower” launch. The studio’s whole workers numbers round 90.
“We’re nonetheless the identical folks,” Ashilevi continued. “We nonetheless have the identical pursuits. The stuff that pursuits us in the world of video video games, but additionally in different media – in movie and literature and theater – that hasn’t modified. Hopefully it has advanced, however I believe we’re nonetheless mainly the identical folks.
“We’re simply going by our intestine, mainly, and we’re following our personal obsessions,” he mentioned. “And a variety of that was current in Disco Elysium. It will likely be current in Zero Parades as effectively, largely as a result of the incontrovertible fact that these are the identical individuals who had been there to construct that cool world.”
In a earlier interview with members of ZA/UM, which passed off simply previous to Gamescom 2025, IGN requested Ashilevi and lead technical artist Nicolas Pirot how they felt about followers who could also be feeling cautious a few new ZA/UM RPG following the departures of Kurvitz, Rostov, and others.
“I perceive why some folks might need reservations,” mentioned Pirot. “It is less than me to inform them what to assume or what to expertise. I believe what we try to do is inform an unbelievable story. And I believe all we will do is hope that, when Zero Parades is prepared, that individuals prefer it sufficient to take part and to see who we’re as a gaggle.”
“We’re right here to put in writing extra tales,” Ashilevi added. “That is all we’re right here for. And if that upsets folks or makes them really feel cautious, honest. However there’s a new recreation popping out quickly and I hope you test it out. And in case you do not prefer it, that is advantageous. That is fully advantageous.”
ZA/UM intends to launch Zero Parades this 12 months. An espionage RPG themed round energy struggles and failure, the group hopes it will stand distinct from Disco Elysium with out “absolutely re-inventing the wheel.”
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Government Editor of Options.