March 14th, euro gamer (opens in new tab) and GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab) In a press release, ZA/UM announced that its legal dispute with Disco Elysium Project leader and Disco Elysium producer Kaul Kender had been resolved, and also announced that it had resolved its legal dispute with Disco Elysium Project leader Robert Kurwitz. We have reported that lead artist Alexander Rostov’s wrongful dismissal lawsuit has been dismissed for lack of evidence. Kurvitz and “Sander Taal” (GamesIndustry.biz indicates this is the pseudonym used by Rostov) have since responded by saying they will continue to pursue legal action. , ZA/UM has released the first content update for Disco Elysium since the ‘Jamais Vu’ patch in December 2021.
Overview of the ZA/UM saga
- 2000s: ZA/UM originally coalesced as an artist collective in Estonia.
- 2013: Robert Kurvitz publishes his first commercial work, Sacred and Terrible Air, a novel set in Elysium.
- 2016: Disco Elysium first released as ‘No Truce With the Furies’ (archived at reddit) EOY 2016 release expected. Producer Kaur Kender appears to have been involved from the early stages, and he eventually received investment from Tõnis Haavel and eventually his CEO Ilmar Kompus. Around this time, ZA/UM became an official game development company.
- 2019: Disco Elysium launches to critical acclaim.
- March 2021: Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, the definitive game release.
- End of 2021: Project Lead Kurvitz, Lead Artist Aleksander Rostov, and Writer/Final Cut Lead Writer Helen Hindpere left the company “reluctantly”.
- October 2022: Disco Elysium editor and former ZA/UM member Martin Luiga revealed the trio’s departure, after which ZA/UM confirmed and received a letter from Rostov co-signed by two others.
- The trio misappropriated €4.8 million from ZA/UM, with CEO/investor Kompas and fellow investor Harvell unfairly exiled, with the help of investor/Disco Elysium producer Kaul Kender. claimed to have performed
- Through ZA/UM, Kompus alleges toxic management styles, disrespect for female employees, and other abuses by Kurwitz and Rostov. Although specific incidents and details have not been disclosed, GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab) An unknown number of anonymous sources are cited to at least partially corroborate the story.
- Kender sued Kompus and ZA/UM for misappropriation of €4.8 million, while Kurvitz and Rostov filed separate separate lawsuits of their own against the company.
- December 2022: Kender has dismissed his lawsuit against ZA/UM, citing the return of funds by Kompus, but has not elaborated on why he had the €4.8 million in the first place.
This is the first public development since ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus repaid €4.8 million to the company and Disco Elysium producer Kaur Kender dropped the lawsuit against the developer. (opens in new tab)In ZA/UM’s first press release of the week, claiming that Kender subsequently paid Kompus legal fees, GamesIndustry.biz shared a seemingly regrettable message from the writer and entrepreneur.
Kender told GamesIndustry.biz, “I am grateful for the years of trust and collaboration with the team that made the Disco Elysium project a success.” But when I saw the facts, I realized that it was irrelevant.”
ZA/UM further said that Kurvitz and Rostov’s “wrongful dismissal” claim against the company had been dropped for “lack of evidence,” but that the company still faced what it characterized as appears to be only part of a full litigation. A “series of unsubstantiated allegations from former employees” “collapses under legal and factual scrutiny.”
Representatives for Kurvitz and Rostov shared a four-part statement with PC Gamer in response to ZA/UM’s allegations. “The press release is false, misleading in several respects, and unfairly portrays ZA/UM’s remaining minority shareholders, Robert Kurwitz and Sander Thal, as mere disgruntled employees. We are trying,” the statement begins.
Kurvitz and Rostov further deny that their employment claims against ZA/UM were dropped for lack of evidence. We believe it is part of our campaign and will pursue our legal options accordingly.”
The pair also note the strange circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of €4.8 million, the subject of Kaur Kender’s lawsuit, to be returned to ZA/UM by CEO Kompus much later. “Kender’s lawsuit was based on the misuse of ZA/UM’s funds (€4.8 million) by majority shareholders Compass and Harbel to increase their own stakes,” Kurvitz and Rostov explain. “In their press releases, Compass and Havel acknowledged this abuse, only claiming that the money was ‘repaid to ZA/UM.’ However, paying back the stolen money does not undo the crime. Here the crime is not undone: the majority that Kompus and Haavel illegally obtained in ZA/UM.”
“Compass and Harvel have silenced Kender on this matter, but they are not going to silence us,” they concluded. “Unlike Kender, we are not part of the ZA/UM looting, and Compass and Harvel have no power over us.”
The final point paints Kender as an enemy of Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere (the latter not party to the lawsuit, but showing the support of her fellow developers).and medium post From Rostov, co-signed by two others last year, the artist said the expulsion and misappropriation of 4.8 million euros was “carried out by Ilmer Compass and Tonis Habel with the support of another minority shareholder, Kaul Kender. ‘ said.
I tried a new mode! Oh this is so much fun. I’m glad they keep in touch with us fans! from r/Disco Elysium
Two days after the initial press release from ZA/UM, the company has released ‘Collage Mode’ (opens in new tab) A combination photo mode, model viewer and Garry’s Mod style sandbox for your games. While harmless in itself, the timing with the new developments in the legal battle over ZA/UM elicited a heated reaction from Disco Elysium fans.
one Highest Rated Post (opens in new tab) In the Disco Elysium subreddit over the past few days, some have used the new mode to show the game’s corporate minion characters pitching new features, as well as encouraging fans to bootleg the game.Staring reaction (opens in new tab) In response to the announcement of Collage Mode on Twitter, many criticized it as a clash of tone with the game and a distraction from the ongoing legal dispute over ownership of Disco Elysium. Even condemned. reply Joyce Messier is nothing more than a screenshot of a character pondering how criticism of capitalism ends up only strengthening capitalism, a parallel with the game’s politics and current state.
For now, as before, the future of one of our favorite games remains uncertain. ZA/UM is hiring, but it’s unclear how much leeway the studio has as Kurvitz and Rostov continue to pursue legal action, and the artist himself is not sure if any wins or his The road to IP reuse is opaque and certainly costly.
