Controversy-laden Disco Elysium and Zero Parades studio ZA/UM to lay off large chunk of staff once more
ZA/UM Studio announced layoffs affecting up to 32 staff members across all departments, just two months after the May release of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. The studio, best known for developing the critically acclaimed 2019 title Disco Elysium, attributed the cuts to the commercial underperformance of its latest game.
In a statement released via social media, ZA/UM explained that despite Zero Parades receiving critical acclaim, “its commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size.” The layoffs represent a significant reduction for the UK-based studio, which was previously reported to have around 100 employees, meaning this action could eliminate roughly one-third of its workforce.
The timing underscores the challenging commercial environment facing indie and mid-sized studios, where critical success does not always translate to sufficient sales. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies marks ZA/UM’s second major release following the controversial but beloved Disco Elysium. The studio’s decision to downsize suggests the game failed to meet revenue targets needed to sustain current operations.
This represents another difficult chapter for ZA/UM, which has been embroiled in years of public and legal disputes since Disco Elysium’s release. The studio described affected employees’ contributions as having “made a lasting difference” to both Zero Parades and the studio overall.