ZA/UMZA/UM is known for its genius RPG Disco Elysium and, lately, the drama surrounding the mysterious departure of its creators. Former ZA/UM developers joined The 41st Precinct in a huge 18-hour interview to share what actually happened.The gist of what we already knew is that in 2021, the studios key creators, lead designer Robert Kurvitz, writer Helen Hindpere, and lead artist Aleksander Rostov, left it in, as another developer, Martin Luiga, would later say, an involuntary manner.ZA/UMs leadership claimed it was due to misconduct (Rostov and Kurvitz were allegedly humiliating colleagues and intending to steal IP,) but former writers Argo Tuulik and Dora Klindi have another story to tell.Take a seat and get ready for scandalous reveals after years of silence.ZA/UMAccording to Tuulik, back in 2020, the management wasnt happy with Kurvitz and Rostovs volatility and wanted to rein them in. Tuulik said that you could look at the situation differently, but the malicious idea back then was to sort of also neuter them in a way.The team wanted to work on a sequel, but the management needed them to finish Final Cut, so the sequel was like a carrot, in Tuuliks words: in your line of sight but unachievable.At some point, Kurvitz started feeling that he was losing his influence, he didnt like being just a writer, and the shift in the studios leadership structure was getting to him. Moreover, Kurvitz would say that Tnis Haavel, an investor and the studio CEO Ilmar Kompuss brother-in-law, manipulated him and made him think Rostov was not fit for his art director role. Kurvitz wanted him to relinquish his position and focus on creative stuff only. Eventually, Rostov did admit he was not fit to lead, he was burned out.At one point, either Kurvitz or Haavel suggested they push Rostov out: he would be sidelined, and Kurvitz would get his shares. Kurvitz and Haavel pointed at each other when talking about who came up with the plan, so the details are not clear.Whoever the villain was, the damage was done: the members of the resistance group didnt know who to trust. However, they trusted Justin Keenan, the studios writer and narrative designer.In 2021, the developer Zaum Studio O was acquired by Ttreke O, a holding company owned by Kompus. Getting back from a vacation in summer, the team learned that ZA/UM had changed owners, and suddenly, they felt not as important, they lost their high positions. At that moment, Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere started suspecting that the management was trying to bring them down.After one of the resistance groups meetings, where they discussed what to do with the change, Keenan reported it to the management, claiming Rostov called Haavel a financial criminal, and the leadership used his and artist Kaspar Tamsalus testimonies to fire Rostov.Later, Kurvitz and Hindperes dismissal was at first framed as a little break so they could cool down: Of course, obviously its not final, come on, no one would end the relationship with this kind of creators of the of the whole world of Elysium, how would that work, the leadership said, in Tuuliks words.But firing Rostov made Kurvitz and Hindpere realize they would not be coming back. While with the first case, ZA/UM at least tried to make it lawful, the circumstances of the latter are questionable.ZA/UMIn 2022, Kurvitz and Rostov accused Kompus and Haavel of obtaining control over ZA/UM by fraud. They allegedly bought the shares held by Margus Linname, a businessman and investor, becoming the majority shareholder. Tuulik said that while Kurvitz, Rostov, and Kaur Kender, DEs executive producer, held 10% of the shares each, Linname had 30%, and by buying out this part, Kompus and Haavel managed to change the studios structure without the others permission, so it seems Kurvitz and Rostovs open letter was true.ZA/UMIts key members leaving ZA/UM didnt stop it from continuing work on other projects. There was, of course, the sequel to Disco Elysium, codenamed Y12. As Klindi remembers, the team was working on the game when suddenly, the leadership started approving changes to the script, which usually took much more persuasion. This was suspicious, and then one day, the management called a meeting and began discussing a new project. When asked about it, they confirmed the worst: Y12 was no longer in development. Naturally, the developers were devastated, but their questions were left unanswered.The new project could be an opportunity to create another signature title for the studio, but the concept was not something Klindi or Tuulik would agree to, even though the management said everybody agreed to the idea. There were some real quality concerns and misogynistic depictions, according to Klindi.This is one of the worst things Ive seen in my entire life, Tuulik added. Honestly, it would have been offensive for a middle school project. It combines boredom and intellectual vanity.Those who dared to point out how offensive some ideas were got invited to one-on-ones and reminded that they should not talk back to their superiors.While developers were scared for their careers, abandoning the DE sequel was a good move, in many peoples views, because it would not be the same without the original creators. Aside from Y12, there were X7, a DE spin-off, and P1, a sci-fi game led by Kender both also canceled.From what we know, ZA/UM is now working on M0, a smaller Elysium game for touchscreen devices, and C4, a large-scale RPG, but Disco Elysium keeps living in the original developers hearts: former DE makers opened 3 new studios Longdue, Dark Math Games, and Summer Eternal where they try to bring back that magic with their own, unique, twist.Tuulik and Klindi talk about some of the projects as well as ZA/UM Atelier, the studios power trips, and the PMG documentary in the 9-hour Part 1 of the interview. Watch the whole thing here and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Truth Behind Firing Disco Elysium Developers & ZA/UMs Canceled Sequel appeared first on CG SHARES.