Two months have passed since the release of Zero Paradise, and it seems that it did not live up to the studio’s expectations.
Two months after the release of Zero Paradise: For Dead Spies, the sequel to the critically acclaimed detective RPG Disco Elysium, Za/Um announced that the game did not achieve the necessary sales figures, forcing them to lay off staff. “While Zero Paradise: For Dead Spies was released to critical acclaim, its commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size. We have issued redundancy or at-risk notices to up to 32 colleagues across all departments at Za/Um Studio. Their work has made a lasting difference and left its mark on Zero Parades: For Dead Spies and the studio as a whole,” wrote Za/Um in a message shared on social media.
Zero Parades isn’t as popular as Disco Elysium; some critics considered it outstanding, while others felt the game didn’t quite come together. Some also pointed out Za/Um Studio’s unfortunate history of layoffs and firings on social media. This meant that most of the key figures behind Disco Elysium were no longer at the studio when Zero Parades was released. Some of these departures were extremely bitter and hostile, making the situation for Zero Parades even more difficult.
The reactions to the announcement of the layoffs on social media were less sympathetic than one might have expected. The harsh criticism is clearly directed at the studio’s management, which tore apart the team behind one of the most revolutionary RPGs after releasing just one game. Some have speculated that the poor sales figures for Zero Parades were, at least in part, a consequence of this conflict.
It’s a bit of a stretch, but we got the feeling that the developers had followed in the footsteps of the Beatles’ breakup. Disco Elysium was their masterpiece, but then conflicting ideas arose, and they eventually went their separate ways. Finita la commedia.
