https://www.gematsu.com/2024/10/former-disco-elysium-developers-establish-longdue-to-develop-psychogeographic-rpg-spiritual-successor

"Former Disco Elysium developers establish Longdue to develop ‘psychogeographic RPG’ spiritual successor

New title to continue the legacy of Disco Elysium.

Longdue - a new studio formed by former developers of Disco Elysium and its unreleased sequel, alongside veterans from Bungie, Rockstar Games, Brave at Night, and more - has announced its establishment. It has secured seed funding to develop a “psychogeographic RPG with narrative depth” that will continue the legacy of Disco Elysium.

“At Longdue, we’re inspired by decades of classic RPGs, from Ultima and Wizardry, through Fallout and Planescape, to the justifiably adored Disco Elysium,” said narrative director Grant Roberts in a press release. “We’re excited to continue that legacy with another narrative-first, psychological RPG, where the interplay between inner worlds and external landscapes is the beating heart of the experience. We’re building a world-class team for a world-class game that will tell a world-class story, and we can’t wait to show you more.”

Longdue investor representative Riaz Moola added, “We are excited to back the work of an incredible team of creative talent and support the development of a new type of narrative-first video game experience and associated technology to improve the creation of these games across the video game industry.”

Get the first details below.

A Psychogeographic RPG with Narrative Depth

Longdue’s debut RPG explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character’s psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces.

The game introduces a groundbreaking “psychogeographic RPG” mechanic, where every decision reshapes both the world and the characters that inhabit it. In this experience, the lines between the mind and the environment blur, colliding and transforming with each choice, leading players through an ever-evolving narrative landscape.

https://i.imgur.com/NwqhJ79.jpeg

A Legacy of Innovation

While Longdue’s debut project draws from the creative energy and legacy of Disco Elysium and other beloved RPGs, like Planescape: Torment, it’s also crafted to stand independently as a meaningful addition to the RPG genre. Longdue is committed to making games that carry the weight of thoughtful design and engaging storytelling, positioning the studio as a steady, dependable voice in RPG development.

Longdue aims to create games that resonate emotionally and intellectually. The studio is here to build a reputation for consistently delivering quality, with a focus on depth and narrative integrity. This is just the beginning of Longdue’s journey to become a trusted name in the greater RPG canon."

https://www.longduegames.com/

Doesn't look like as if Kurvitz, Hindpere, Rostov or any other of the original ZA/UM collective is included in this project's supposed "key creatives from the original Disco Elysium team and contributors to the unreleased sequel"(?).

Without the lead writer and art director of Disco Elysium, I will have to temper my expectations and be more wary, instead of being easily parted from my money. Though even without their presence, it would still be a product I'd be interested in. Thanks for the news.

Another bunch of former original Disco Elysium developers have announced their new studio, Dark Math Games' formation just the other day as well.

Unlike Longdue Games, they do have something more substantial to show off:

XXX NIGHTSHIFT - A true detective RPG. Dialogue Gameplay Trailer (Community wishlist entry)

You can tell Disco Elysium's UX designer is part of that studio, looks more or less identical, at least as far as the dialogue UI is concerned.

If it works - and in Disco Elysium it certainly did - why change it?


The project pitch by Longdue Games sounds very ambitious, hope they don't get stuck like ZA/UM, who then had to scale things back quite a bit in order to move forward with development again.