A group of developers who worked on the award-winning RPG Disco Elysium have formed a new studio called Longdue. The company already has about a dozen employees. On the company’s roster includes developers who have previously worked at Rockstar, Bungie, and Brave At Night.
“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,” Longdue chair and investor representative Riaz Moola told GamesIndustry.biz.
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“I think that’s what Longdue represents to the team – an environment insulated where these disputes are not a factor and an environment with solid creative drive and mission. That’s something we really want to cultivate.”
Regardless of the history of some of the developer with Disco Elysium, Longdue emphasized that it is a fresh start for everyone. Moola stressed that although the devs in the new company will draw inspiration from their past, Longdue is “focused on innovation and trailblazing, not replication”.
Longdue is already working on its first game. The details of the game is still sketchy but it will revolve around “psychogeographic RPG” mechanic which the company said will “reshape both the world and the characters” based on the decisions of the player.
“We’re crafting a world with a constant, meaningful interplay between the protagonist’s interior reality and the outer environment,” Moola said.
“Every decision and thought process leaves a mark – not just on the characters but also on the world around them. The line between the character you’re playing and the environment you’re navigating becomes blurred, creating an experience where both are deeply intertwined. It’s quite an abstract idea, but we’re really excited to push it and see what comes from it.”
The studio is currently hiring and you can learn more about open positions here. Both Writer and Art Director can work remotely.
Another group of ex-Disco Elysium devs form Dark Math Games
Dark Math Games is working on what is considered Disco Elysium’s spiritual successor. The studio currently has twenty employees who describe themselves as a “breakaway group from the original development team”.
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Timo Albert is one of the four founders of Dark Math Games. He previously worked on Disco Elysium as motion graphic designer. According to IGN, Dark Math Games’ active directors include Heiti Kender, brother of Za/UM investor and Disco Elysium executive producer Kaur Kender.
The company is currently working on their debut game XXX Nightshift. The game is described as a “true detective RPG” with science-fiction settings and a “unique companion dynamic” that creates different paths when solving cases.
“Additionally to innovating the traditional RPG mechanics, we’ll bring something fresh to the table,” Albert said in the announcement. “You will see. And of course, a few less words. And a few more bullets, perhaps. In total: lot more fun.”
