# Over 30 developers fired from Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM despite ZERO PARADES rave reviews

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/over-30-developers-fired-from-disco-elysium-studio-za-um-despite-zero-parades-rave-reviews/
- Published: 2026-07-18T18:40:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-19T07:14:35+00:00
- Original publisher: Destructoid
- Original article: https://www.destructoid.com/zaum-layoffs/
- Topics: Software, Technology

## Key points

- ZA/UM lays off up to 32 developers after ZERO PARADES underperforms commercially
- The game earned strong reviews, including 9/10 from Destructoid
- Studio struggled to shake comparisons to Disco Elysium's departed creators

## Summary

ZA/UM, the studio behind Disco Elysium, has fired or issued at-risk notices to up to 32 developers despite its latest release, ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, receiving strong critical reviews. The espionage RPG was praised on release, including a 9/10 review from Destructoid, but failed to translate that acclaim into commercial success, prompting the cutbacks. The move underscores the difficulty ZA/UM has faced rebuilding trust and momentum since its founding creators left the company under controversial circumstances.

The layoffs were announced by ZA/UM via Bluesky, which stated the studio could no longer sustain its current size following the game's poor commercial performance. Affected staff are members of the ZA/UM Workers' Alliance union, offering them some level of protection during the process. Commentators note that ZERO PARADES always faced an uphill battle being compared to Disco Elysium, a game made by creators no longer at the studio, which likely contributed to lukewarm sales despite the positive critical reception.

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