It is widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time, but the future of the series has been up in the air. A planned sequel and expansion were cancelled, and developer ZA/UM laid off some workers as a result. There has also been a on the ownership of intellectual property. Still, the essence of the original game is still very much alive, especially since a new studio is working on a spiritual successor. The project is planned to continue “with the thoughtful and narrative approach that defined its predecessor.”
Some developers who worked on Disco Elysium and its failed sequel, along with people who used to work at Bungie, Rockstar Games, Brave at Night and elsewhere, make up London-based Longdue's 12-person team. According The studio's first game is billed as “a psychogeographic role-playing game” that “explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and the subconscious, the visible and the invisible.” Set in a world where choices vary between the character's psyche and the environment, players will navigate an ever-changing landscape, shaped by forces both internal and external.”
If you know anything about Elysée NightclubThat should sound pretty familiar. Not many other details about the game have been revealed so far, but Longdue released a piece of concept art (above).
“At Longdue, we draw inspiration from decades of classic RPGs, from Last and sorcerythrough radioactive dust and flat landscapeto the justly adored Elysée Nightclub“Narrative director Grant Roberts, formerly of Bungie and Rocksteady, said in a press release. “We are excited to continue that legacy with another psychological and narrative RPG, where the interaction between internal worlds and external landscapes is the heart of the experience.”
Longdue has not revealed all the former ZA/UM developers who are involved, but Elysée Nightclub Lead designer and writer Robert Kurvitz and lead artist Aleksander Rostov are not among them. In late 2022, ZA/UM's new majority shareholders fired that couple along with writer Helen Hindpere, accusing them of misconduct and attempting to steal intellectual property (among other things). This is despite the fact that Kurvitz wrote the novel on which the 2019 game world was based. Lawsuits were filed and ZA/UM Those were resolved last year. Kurvitz and Rostov have his own company, Red Info.
