Ex-Disco Elysium devs form Longdue, focused on "innovation and trailblazing, not replication"
A group of developers who previously worked on the acclaimed Disco Elysium have formed a new studio in the UK, Longdue.
The company already has around a dozen staff, including folks who worked on ZA/UM's hit and its unreleased sequel. Other members of the team have previously worked at Bungie, Rockstar and Brave At Night, including narrative director Grant Roberts.
The studio "isn't ready to talk about specific names at the moment" when it comes to who is on the team, a representative told GamesIndustry.biz. However, the company did confirm to us that Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov are not involved.
In October 2022, it was reported that Kurvitz, Rostov and Helen Hindpere "involuntarily" left ZA/UM. The two men claimed it was unfair dismissal, while a company for which Kurvitz was a board member filed a lawsuit against the studio, alleging that CEO llmar Kompus spent €4.8 million in company funds to illegally obtain a majority share of the studio.
The dispute esclated with further allegations between the two parties, as well as the game's producer Kaur Kender, but the legal battle was resolved in March 2023.
It has left a shadow over the critically acclaimed game, and the companies involved. We asked Longdue if this had affected the new studio.
"As a long-time gamer myself and massive fan of all types of RPGs, gaming is obviously an industry where there can be such a tension between the art and commerce of it all, and when those elements clash, no matter the circumstance, it’s really disruptive and gets in the way of allowing creatives to do what they love and giving gamers the experiences they are looking for," said Longdue chair and investor representative Riaz Moola.
"I don’t think there’s anyone on the Longdue team who isn’t really passionate about what they do and who isn’t happiest when they’re getting to be creative, and this is why we decided to invest in the business.
"I think that’s what Longdue represents to the team - an environment insulated where these
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