Here comes another challenger!!!
Following this morning's announcement of new studios Dark Math Games and Longdue Games, another ZA/UM alum has launched their own independent outfit.
Co-founded by Disco Elysium writer Argo Tuulik, Summer Eternal is billed as an "art collective/RPG studio." Its mission? Gather other Disco writers and some new blood to "create a liberating space for us and other veteran RPG developers to finally, collectively start innovating again in this game space."
According to the website, other prominent Disco staff include writer Olga Moskvina, voice actor Lenval Brown, principal writer Dora Klindžić, senior concept artist Anastasia Ivanova, and graphic designer Michael Oswell. Aleksandar Gavrilović, a former developer at Gamechuck, has also joined as an "organizer."
Summer Eternal will have a "complex structure," according to Tuulik, "involving co-operatives with not only full time workers but also freelancers and part-time collaborators, and even a player-ownership of a game studio." He also promised a dev diary covering organizational and creative news.
"Transparency and true equality to the best of our abilities is
what we vow to adhere to in our relentless pursuit of artistic highs and social change," wrote Tuulik. "We invite you to judge
us by our actions not our words."
Why so many new ventures from ex-ZA/UM staff? Earlier this year, the developer laid off 24 employees after the cancellation of a project codenamed "X7." At the time, it was alleged to be an expansion for Disco Elysium.
Since several key Disco developers were allegedly ousted in 2022, ZA/UM has faced several setbacks, which includes many scrapped projects, lawsuits, and allegations of mistreating staff.
On Summer Eternal's website, Tuulik said he "was not ready" to give up on what he learned while making Disco Elysium, and the team came together with a specific goal: "Do it fresh from the start, but this time, let's not fuck each other the moment the checkered flag drops."
"Should we fail," added Klindžić, "it will be due to incompetence, megalomaniacal ambition, or any number of reasons. [...] But it won't be due to greed."
Unlike Longdue and Dark Math, Summer Eternal had nothing to show for its new project beyond teasing it would be something "completely new."
However, Tuulik did address his former coworkers, stating he "would love for you to join the struggle as well: time to roll up our sleeves and start building communism!"
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