Longdue Games has unveiled a new trailer showcasing gameplay for Hopetown, a title recognized as one of the spiritual successors to the acclaimed Disco Elysium.
On Thursday, May 21st, anticipation was high for the release of a game positioned as an heir to Disco Elysium, a label many developers now proudly embrace. Following Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, an espionage RPG from “the creators of Disco Elysium” that launched on Steam last week, Longdue Games released a gameplay trailer for their debut title, Hopetown, on the same day.
Longdue Games comprises former members of ZA/UM, which explains why Hopetown, like Zero Parades, is described as being “designed by part of the team behind the groundbreaking Disco Elysium.” This project is still in development. It’s known to be an RPG where narrative is a core element, featuring extensive dialogue, a protagonist who is a journalist, and gameplay, visuals, and art style reminiscent of Disco Elysium.
The Hopetown trailer features Lenval Brown, the captivating narrator from Disco Elysium, lending his distinctive voice. Previous promotional materials have also shown former Disco Elysium developers, such as Piotr Sobolewski (programmer) and Martin Luiga (co-founder of the ZA/UM cultural association and a key figure in building Revachol), who is now contributing to Hopetown’s narrative.
Longdue Games successfully surpassed its Kickstarter funding goal in March. Contributions are still open until Friday, May 29th, offering a discounted copy of the game. Hopetown has garnered support from over three thousand backers, raising more than ยฃ134,600.
The new Hopetown trailer introduces additional scenes from the city of New Greenwich. This setting is described as existing “in a world still reeling from a cataclysm caused by a solar flare.” The narrative potential of a protagonist whose profession is a journalist, an occupation rich with possibilities for investigative gameplay, is certainly intriguing.
A journalist’s work might ideally involve mapping out the complex web of branches that have emerged from the original Disco Elysium team. Over the years, we’ve seen the formation of new studios, the registration of others yet to be announced, and the continuation of the original company. As far as we know, these are the entities that have arisen from that schism:
- ZA/UM itself, the original studio, with organizational changes documented and continued by the People Make Games series. In addition to new hires, a significant portion of the Disco Elysium development team remains with the studio. They made headlines in late 2025 with the formation of a union section: the ZA/UM Workersโ Alliance, in conjunction with the IWGB Game Workers Union.
- Dark Math Games. Their first game, XXX Nightshift, is a detective RPG set in 2086 where players control agent Dinorah Katz. Set in a luxury Antarctic resort, its art director is Timo Albert, who worked in publishing for Disco Elysium. Albert has previously stated the game would feature “more bullets” and “fewer words.” A trailer was released about eighteen months ago, and while a release date is pending, it already has a GOG page.
- Summer Eternal. This studio is comprised of ZA/UM veterans, including writers Argo Tuulik and Olga Moskvina, concept artist Anastasia Ivanova, graphic designer Michael Oswell, and writer Dora Klindลพiฤ (who worked on the planned Disco Elysium sequel). While initially announced as part of the team, narrator Lenval Brown has since joined Longdue Games.
- Red Info Ltd. This studio, though not yet formally announced, has had its name registered by Robert Kurvitz (Disco Elysium’s project lead) and lead artist Aleksander Rostov. Writer Helen Hindpere, known for her acceptance speech at The Game Awards in 2019 and her prominent role in the NoClip documentary series, is also associated with this venture.
- Longdue Games, the creators of Hopetown. Announced on October 11th, 2024 (the fifth anniversary of Disco Elysium), their debut title is described as a “psychogeographic RPG” inspired by Disco Elysium, Wizardry, and Fallout. Grant Roberts, who worked on Destiny 2, was initially the narrative director, but his tenure at the studio concluded in July of last year.
Beyond Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere (who were dismissed from ZA/UM in 2022), Argo Tuulik, a writer and original member of the cultural association known for creating characters like Cuno, is another prominent figure from the original Disco Elysium team, having been featured extensively in People Make Games’ documentaries. He was ultimately dismissed from ZA/UM along with a quarter of the staff.
While ZA/UM is not the only studio to have experienced internal upheaval, it has certainly garnered significant media attention. The focus on former employees, coupled with the immense popularity of Disco Elysium, has kept a close watch on the movements of all involved. The cancellation of a Disco Elysium sequel, the development of a mobile version, and the recent launch of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies โ the first spiritual successor to reach fruition โ have been notable developments. Other games in the “Disco Elysium-like” genre include Surgent Studios’ Project Uso, Emotion Spark Studio’s Rue Valley, and Esoteric Ebb.
In a final note regarding Hopetown, and in honor of its journalist protagonist, a small journalistic exercise is in order. Given the artistic similarities between Zero Parades and Disco Elysium, a check of their respective art teams via Moby Games reveals that while Aleksander Rostov (Disco Elysium’s lead artist) was not involved in Zero Parades, the aesthetic continuity is maintained through Kaspar Tamsalu (art director), who previously worked on Disco Elysium’s art. Anton Vill (lead illustrator), Markus Hรคrma (environment artist), and Siim Raidma (technical artist) also contributed to Zero Parades after working on Disco Elysium.
As we continue to investigate and report on the latest from the studios emerging from the legacy of Disco Elysium, it’s an opportune moment to recall a past video game week event or the comprehensive retrospective dedicated to “The Wacky Adventures of a Certain Detective I Don’t Want to Remember” (an unofficial moniker for Disco Elysium).
