ZA/UM splits like Exodia, ex-Disco Elysium devs open up three different studios, each promising a new game

Dark Math Games, a new studio made up of former Disco Elysium developers, has announced its formation and first game—a detective RPG titled XXX NIGHTSHIFT. It will launch for PC via Steam. A release date was not announced.

Based in London, Dark Math Games was founded in 2023 by three games industry veterans, and currently has a team of 20 developers—about half of whom have contributed to the release of Disco Elysium and Disco Elysium: The Final Cut.

“Additionally to innovating the traditional RPG mechanics, we’ll bring something fresh to the table,” said Dark Math Games co-founder, art director, and tactical lead Timo Albert in a press release. “You will see. And of course, a few less words. And a few more bullets, perhaps. In total: lot more fun.”

Longdue—a new studio formed by former developers of Disco Elysium and its unreleased sequel, alongside veterans from Bungie, Rockstar Games, Brave at Night, and more—has announced its establishment. It has secured seed funding to develop a “psychogeographic RPG with narrative depth” that will continue the legacy of Disco Elysium.

“At Longdue, we’re inspired by decades of classic RPGs, from Ultima and Wizardry, through Fallout and Planescape, to the justifiably adored Disco Elysium,” said narrative director Grant Roberts in a press release. “We’re excited to continue that legacy with another narrative-first, psychological RPG, where the interplay between inner worlds and external landscapes is the beating heart of the experience. We’re building a world-class team for a world-class game that will tell a world-class story, and we can’t wait to show you more.”

Longdue investor representative Riaz Moola added, “We are excited to back the work of an incredible team of creative talent and support the development of a new type of narrative-first video game experience and associated technology to improve the creation of these games across the video game industry.”

Get the first details below.

A Psychogeographic RPG with Narrative Depth

Longdue’s debut RPG explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character’s psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces.

The game introduces a groundbreaking “psychogeographic RPG” mechanic, where every decision reshapes both the world and the characters that inhabit it. In this experience, the lines between the mind and the environment blur, colliding and transforming with each choice, leading players through an ever-evolving narrative landscape.

Summer Eternal, today’s third new studio of former Disco Elysium developers, has announced its establishment. Described as an “art collective / RPG studio,” the developer aims to gather author, writers, and designers who worked on Disco Elysium, as well as new talent, to create something “completely fresh and original.”

“I believe that the last time around, we made something genre-breaking,” said studio co-founder and Disco Elysium writer Argo Tuulik in a press release. “Discipline-transcending. Something completely new. I am not ready to give up on that. The lessons learned, skills developed, experience forged—for five fucking years I’ve been waiting to put them to use. So we went back to the drawing board with one goal in mind—let’s do it fresh from the start, but this time let’s not fuck each other the moment the checkered flag drops. It makes the entire mankind look bad.”

According to the studio, the goal of Summer Eternal is to create a worker-owned, cooperative, and liberating space that ensures that every worker, every creative, and every player has a voice.

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On the one hand, it’s kind of funny–on the other, like. Yeah. What else were entire laid-off teams gonna do lmao

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when i saw the third team i lost it

a fittingly messy end to a messy-ass game

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Oh we’re going like BLATANT blatant huh

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