The studio’s recent actions have impacted up to 32 staff members.
The trend of layoffs in the gaming sector continues, with ZA/UM Studio, known for titles like Disco Elysium and their latest release, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, announcing staff reductions. In a social media update, the studio revealed that it had issued redundancy or at-risk notices to as many as 32 employees across various departments.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of the launch of their new game in May, which has not performed as expected commercially. ZA/UM Studio cited the lackluster sales of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies as the reason behind the cuts, explaining that the game’s performance has not supported maintaining a team of the current size. Data from SteamDB indicates that the espionage-themed RPG peaked at 3,177 concurrent players at launch but has seen a steady decline since then.
Fans of Disco Elysium may find this news somewhat predictable, particularly given the challenges ZA/UM Studio has faced since the critical and commercial success of the original game in 2019. Following that success, the studio encountered various issues, including the dismissal of key team members, legal disputes regarding intellectual property, and allegations concerning a hostile workplace for women. In the wake of these complications, some former team members formed a new studio called Longdue, which is also developing a narrative-driven game. Despite the recent layoffs, ZA/UM Studio mentioned that it continues to engage with representatives of the ZA/UM Workers’ Alliance.
