Over 30 Developers Fired From Disco Elysium Studio ZA/UM Despite ZERO PARADES Rave Reviews
ZA/UM said critical acclaim for Disco Elysium did not bring enough revenue, forcing layoffs and project cancellations after years of turmoil.
- On Friday, ZA/UM Studio announced layoffs affecting up to 32 staff members across all departments, citing weak commercial performance of its spiritual successor Zero Parades: For Dead Spies.
- Previous staff reductions at the Studio include a 2024 round where around 24 employees were laid off following cancellation of a Disco Elysium spin-off, amid allegations of workplace conditions described as 'rife with crunch, burnout and conflict.'
- As of October 2025, the Studio reported around 100 employees and is consulting with the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which represents the studio's first recognized video game developers' union in the UK.
- Widespread criticism erupted on social media following the announcement, with observers noting the irony given Disco Elysium's anti-capitalist themes and the Studio's history of public disputes.
- Founders Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov previously accused management figures Ilmar Kompus and Haavel of fraudulently seizing the Studio's ownership, claiming they were 'summarily fired and cut off from our life's work.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Over 30 developers fired from Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM despite ZERO PARADES rave reviews
The studio that brought us Disco Elysium (while it still had its founders and main creators in it) recently launched ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, an “espionage RPG” letting you control a troubled agent on their final assignment. While the game received amazing reviews, including a 9/10 from us, it failed to reach any sort of commercial success, and the studio is now firing over 30 devs as a result. ZA/UM announced this on Bluesky, saying that “…
'We Will Persist' — Disco Elysium Dev ZA/UM Announces Layoffs 2 Months After Zero Parades Launched to 'Critical Acclaim'
Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM has announced layoffs affecting up to 32 staff just two months after launching Zero Parades: For Dead Spies.The UK-based studio published a statement regarding the changes on its X/Twitter account. It says that, despite releasing its latest game in May to "critical acclaim, its commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size.""We have served redundancy or at-risk notices impacting u…
"They poisoned the brand" - Disco Elysium fans react strongly as controversial developer ZA/UM lays off large chunk of staff, weeks after releasing latest game
ZA/UM Studio, the contentious developer at the heart of years of bitter public and legal disputes since the release of 2019's acclaimed Disco Elysium, is to lay off up to 32 staff members "across all departments", it's been announced.
ZA/UM Studio, the controversial developer, who has been at the heart of years of bitter public and legal disputes since the release of the celebrated game Disco Elysium in 2019, is "released in all departments up to 32 employees, as announced. more
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