ZA/UM, the studio known for the critically acclaimed RPG Disco Elysium, has announced significant layoffs, impacting up to 32 employees. This decision comes just two months after the release of their latest title, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies.
In a statement shared via its X/Twitter account, the UK-based studio cited the commercial performance of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies as insufficient to maintain its current team size. "We have served redundancy or at-risk notices impacting up to 32 of our colleagues across all departments at ZA/UM Studio," the company stated, acknowledging the contributions of those affected. The studio has committed to consulting with its Workers' Alliance union throughout this process.
Despite the staff reductions, ZA/UM affirmed that its artistic goals remain intact. "Our artistic standards remain unchanged: we will persist," the statement read, urging other companies to consider hiring the departing staff.
This is not the first period of internal turmoil for ZA/UM. In October 2022, several key developers, including writer Robert Kurvitz and art lead Aleksander Rostov, reportedly left the company involuntarily. Shortly thereafter, a lawsuit emerged where Kurvitz and Rostov alleged fraudulent acquisition of control over ZA/UM by Ilmar Kompus and Tõnis Haavel of Tütreke OÜ. ZA/UM has denied these accusations.
The fallout from these disputes has led to the formation of independent studios by former ZA/UM developers, including Dark Math Games and Longdue Games, which have announced their own projects. This follows a reported incident in 2024 where approximately 24 employees were laid off and a standalone Disco Elysium expansion was canceled.
Disco Elysium received widespread critical acclaim, including multiple awards at The Game Awards 2019. Its successor, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, launched on May 21, 2026, for PC and PS5, achieving an 83 critic score on Metacritic. ZA/UM has indicated that while the studio's structure will change, its core mission will continue.