Disco Elysium Studio Lays Off Workers 2 Months After Its New Game

July 21, 2026 - 04:00

ZA/UM, the studio behind the critically acclaimed role-playing game Disco Elysium, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees. The cuts come only two months after the studio formally announced its next project, a science-fiction RPG codenamed Project C4. The news was first reported by a former employee on social media, who described the layoffs as sudden and widespread across multiple departments.

The studio has not released an official statement regarding the number of affected workers or the reasons behind the decision. However, industry speculation points to disappointing sales of the studio's recent projects, including the final content update for Disco Elysium and the early reception to Project C4's reveal. ZA/UM had hoped for stronger commercial momentum following the massive critical success of Disco Elysium, which won multiple Game of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020.

The layoffs also revive questions about the ongoing fallout from the highly publicized legal and creative disputes with the game's original writers and directors. Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere were ousted from the company in 2022 amid allegations of mismanagement and a hostile takeover by investors. Many fans and critics have speculated that the departure of these key creative figures damaged the studio's reputation and its ability to replicate the unique voice of Disco Elysium. Whether that drama directly impacted sales of the new game remains unclear, but the timing of these layoffs suggests the studio is struggling to find its footing without its founding visionaries.