Lead Creative Robert Kurvitz Files Lawsuit Against Disco Elysium Developer ZA/UM

The ongoing dispute between some of the key creative minds and the studio itself responsible for the inimitable RPG Disco Elysium continues, with lead writer and game designer Robert Kurvitz filing a lawsuit against his former company with the Estonian court.

To get everyone up to speed in what is quickly becoming a complicated narrative, back in early October, we brought you the news that lead Disco Elysium devs had "involuntarily" left ZA/UM, according to Martin Luiga, an editor and founding member of the studio. Subsequently, ZA/UM released a statement that did not directly comment on the matter, noting that "like any video game, the development of Disco Elysium was and still is a collective effort, with every team member’s contribution essential and valued as part of a greater whole."

Subsequently, Luiga sat down for an interview with GamePressure, stating that the leads in question (Robert Kurvitz, Helen Hindpere and Aleksander Rostov) were actually "fired under false premises."

In the latest development in the saga, as reported by TechNewsSpace, Kurvitz (on behalf of his own company, Telomer OÜ) is now suing ZA/UM, with a hearing scheduled for next month, on 28th November.

The details of the suit remain unknown, although we would imagine it would likely have to do with the intellectual property rights of Disco Elysium, which are currently held by ZA/UM. That is, of course, simply conjecture on our own part. Kurvitz is largely credited with creating the incredibly evocative setting of Disco Elysium as a teenager. Any sequel created without him would surely be missing that certain je ne sais quoi that made the original so iconic, not to mention the contributions of writer Hindpere or artist Rostov.

We will be watching the proceedings with bated breath and will update you as soon as we learn more. What do you think of this latest development? Sign away your intellectual rights in the comments section below.