In a recent announcement that has rippled through the gaming community, ZA/UM, the acclaimed developer behind the hit game Disco Elysium, has confirmed layoffs within its team. This decision comes in the wake of the cancellation of their anticipated project X7, leaving the gaming world in a state of somber reflection on the challenges faced by game developers.
ZA/UM, known for their narrative-rich and critically acclaimed title Disco Elysium, has always been a studio that prides itself on creativity and innovation. However, the harsh realities of game development have led to a tough decision: scaling down the team in response to the cancellation of project X7. The exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed, but the impact is felt deeply within the studio's walls.
The studio expressed its difficulty in parting ways with talented colleagues, emphasizing the adaptation process of resizing the team according to the current projects. "As with all studios, we adapt the size of our team to the work underway, growing when we start a new project and shrinking if one is cancelled. It is always hard to lose talented colleagues, and we thank those leaving for their many contributions to ZA/UM".
Further insight into the situation was provided through a memo from ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus, shared with the staff. The memo outlined the painstaking decision to cancel project X7 after eight months of concerted efforts by the management team and the X7 disciplines. The cancellation is set to lead to redundancies, affecting not only the X7 team but also non-development teams and projects outside of X7.
ZA/UM is approaching this sensitive issue with the utmost care and respect, initiating a formal redundancy consultation procedure in accordance with UK law. Employees at risk of redundancy are being contacted directly to discuss the next steps, ensuring a professional and supportive transition period for all involved.
The news of the layoffs at ZA/UM was first reported by GLHF, highlighting the uncertainties and challenges faced by game developers in today's competitive and ever-changing industry landscape.
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