ZA/UM Studio, the developer behind the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium, has just announced a new game titled Project [C4]. The game is being described as a “genre-defining RPG” and has a teaser trailer that, while light on gameplay, features a plethora of disturbing imagery.

Based on the trailer, it’s unclear whether the game will incorporate mechanics or visuals from the highly-regarded Disco Elysium. However, a press release did reveal that players will take on the role of a spy and that the game may partially take place in the human brain. All other details remain shrouded in secrecy.

What is clear, however, is that ZA/UM has experienced a tumultuous several years since the release of Disco Elysium in 2019. The company has been plagued by layoffs, firings, and departures of key team members, including creator Robert Kurvitz, art director Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere.

In 2022, ZA/UM’s new executive team fired Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere, accusing them of misconduct and attempted intellectual property theft. However, it’s worth noting that Kurvitz is the author of the novel on which Disco Elysium is based, making the allegations of IP theft questionable. Lawsuits were filed, and Kurvitz and Rostov have since set up their own company, Red Info.

Kurvitz and Rostov have denied the allegations of IP theft, stating in an open letter that they were fired while investigating suspicious activity surrounding the takeover of ZA/UM by Estonian businessmen Ilmar Kompus and Tõnis Haavel. The latter two have previously been convicted of investment fraud and have been accused of creating a hostile work environment, particularly for women.

A former writer for Disco Elysium told PC Gamer amidst recent company-wide layoffs that at least five women have left or been forced out of the studio since the launch of Disco Elysium, citing Tõnis Haavel as a major factor. The source also noted that there are no women in creative leadership positions and very few women in leadership roles in general.

A group of former ZA/UM employees has formed a new development company called Longdue, which is working on a game that acts as a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. Meanwhile, Kurvitz and Rostov’s company, Red Info, is developing a new game with the financial backing of NetEase, although concrete details have not been released.