Disco Elysium Dev ZA/UM Announces Layoffs Affecting Up to 32 Staff
Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM has announced layoffs affecting up to 32 staff, just two months after releasing its latest title, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. The UK-based studio said the game's commercial performance had not been strong enough to sustain a studio of its current size, despite critical acclaim, marking another setback for a company that has faced years of internal turmoil.
The cuts affect employees across all departments, and ZA/UM said it will consult with its Workers' Alliance union throughout the process, insisting its "artistic standards remain unchanged". This follows a turbulent few years for the studio, including a 2022 legal dispute involving former key developers Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov, the departure of several staff to spinoff studios, and a previous round of layoffs in 2024 affecting around 24 employees, which also saw a planned Disco Elysium expansion cancelled. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies launched on 21 May 2026 for PC and PS5, scoring 83 on Metacritic, below the acclaim of its predecessor Disco Elysium.
In short
- ZA/UM cuts up to 32 jobs after new game's weak sales
- Latest blow follows years of legal disputes and departures
- Studio's 2024 layoffs also saw a DLC cancelled
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A game studio's primary obligation is financial sustainability, which requires revenue to match operational costs. Whilst critical acclaim matters, Zero Parades' commercial underperformance relative to the previous title means the current workforce is simply unaffordable. These layoffs, though difficult, represent necessary cost alignment to preserve the studio's viability and continued ability to create art rather than face insolvency.
The case against
These layoffs reflect management failure rather than commercial inevitability. The studio should have planned more carefully, controlled costs more rigorously, or managed expectations appropriately for a sequel's performance. Workers bear the consequence of corporate miscalculation they did not cause, when the burden should instead fall on leadership to make better strategic and financial decisions that protect their employees' livelihoods.
Explained simply
ZA/UM is a UK-based video game developer best known for Disco Elysium, a critically acclaimed role-playing game from 2019 that gained significant praise for its writing and world-building. The studio has built a reputation in the gaming industry for its artistic ambitions and distinctive creative approach.
The studio released its second major title, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, in May 2026 to critical acclaim but weaker-than-expected commercial performance. This commercial shortfall has put financial pressure on the company at a time when it is attempting to sustain operations.
ZA/UM has faced considerable internal difficulties over recent years, including a major legal dispute in 2022 involving co-founders Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov, the departure of staff members to other studios, and a previous round of job losses in 2024 that also saw plans for a Disco Elysium expansion cancelled. These ongoing challenges have marked a difficult period for what was once seen as an emerging creative force in gaming.