The controversy surrounding Disco Elysium’s development has unfolded in various forms, yet consistently touches on underlying issues that are familiar. Typically, video game drama can be surprisingly complex, often marked by legal disputes and occasionally bizarre incidents that warrant serious consideration.
Notably, consider the three studios that each recently released games with undertones reminiscent of Disco Elysium’s style last month: Longdue, XXX Nightshift developer Darkish Math Games, and Summer season Everlasting, whose team members we had the pleasure of interviewing just recently. A recently released study provides an in-depth examination of the complex interplay and subtle power dynamics at play among all three parties involved.
The report from IGN presents a complex web of connections among the three entities, revealing an intricate dance of involvement, as tech entrepreneur Riaz Moola appears to be embroiled in financial dealings with Longdue and Darkish Math, according to sources. IGN additionally stories that Tuulik and fellow Summer season Everlasting co-founder Dora Klindžić each labored for Darkish Math Video games and CoGrammar – Longdue’s dad or mum firm – at totally different factors this yr.
The duo reportedly parted ways with Darkish Math, led by former Disco Elysium government producer Kaur Kender, who had previously been embroiled in a legal dispute with ZA/UM over intellectual property rights that were resolved the previous year. The split occurred in July 2024, after the company declined to renew Tuulik’s contract due to “creative differences”.
That’s where the unexpected problems arise. IGN stories that whereas Tuulik and Klindžić have been serving as sport director and narrative director on XXX Nightshift, Darkish Math’s sport, an incident passed off which noticed Tuulik accuse Kender of exhibiting him and different members of the group bare photographs of Kender’s ex-wife. Kender told IGN that photographs allegedly serving as real-life references for XXX Nightshift characters were misrepresented, with the woman depicted wearing a bikini or fully clothed, denying claims of nudity in any of the images.
Darkish Math has issued a statement to IGN, emphasizing its desire to put past controversies behind it and move forward. As @Tuulik clarified in his Twitter thread, he agrees wholeheartedly with the notion that certain matters – specifically those related to “Darkish Math” – warrant a collective, unified response from the academic community?
Following this, it appears there was an entire different factor between Tuulik, Klindžić, and CoGrammar. Despite initial reports suggesting Tuulik served as an advisor on Longdue’s game, the developer has since disputed these claims via Twitter. Both approach, the pair ended up leaving, with Tuulik resigning, and what’s adopted is Longdue efficiently acquiring an injuction in England and Wales which stops Tuulik and Klindžić from engaged on Summer season Everlasting’s sport for a six month interval, on the premise of how issues went down contract-wise within the break up – one thing either side naturally have their very own model of occasions relating to.
There’s the final piece that completes the puzzle. The Disco Elysium studio, ZA/UM, has taken legal action against its former employee, Tuulik, citing alleged breaches of contract, confidentiality, and copyright law following his departure from the company, which he described as a resignation rather than a layoff. According to cited sources, Tuulik reportedly confirmed to employees at Darkish Math and Longdue that the sticking point revolves around a playable construct of Disco Elysium spin-off X7, which was allegedly verified via a USB stick. Tuulik categorically denies any involvement in the alleged incident.
What implications do these developments have for fans of Disco Elysium? Properly, that continues to be an open question, except perhaps providing further fuel for the notion that the actual spiritual successor to Disco Elysium lies in the tangled web of arguments, allegations, and unexpected twists that have unfolded surrounding Disco or Disco-esque controversies over the past few years.
