Around the studio ZA/UM, responsible for RPG Disco Elysium, The scandal flared up. In October, it turned out that three key employees – screenwriter and designer were fired from the company Robert Kurvitsa (Robert Kurvitz), screenwriter Helen Hidnper (Helen hidnpere) and leading designer Alexandra Rostov. Today Kurvitz And Rostov spoke about the situation in a joint statement.
Kurvitz And Rostov own a minority package of shares of an Estonian company Zaum Studio Oü. She owns everything related to the game. The main share of securities was originally in the hands Margusa Linnamoe (Margus Linnamäe) – an Estonian businessman and investor who provided the developers with initial capital.
In 2021, shares Linnamoe Build another Estonian company – Tütreke Oü. Its owners are entrepreneurs Ilmar Compus (Ilmar kompus) and TNIS Havel (Tõnis havel).
While at the steering wheel stood Linnamoe, The developers were sure that with finances ZA/UM Everything is in order and all shareholders are equally. When the company has changed the owners, Kurvitsa And Rostov removed from business, and then fired. Before resignation, the developers demanded that they provide them with documents and financial data, but did not achieve their.
Kurvitz And Rostov They say that https://bettingsitesnogamstop.co.uk/football/ Tütreke Oü I swallowed Zaum Studio Oü deceitfully – she illegally took the money for the purchase of a control package from the herself Zaum Studio Oü. These funds belonged to all shareholders and had to go to the continuation budget Disco Elysium.
According to Kurvitsa, Rostov and their lawyers, Computer And Haawel committed a crime for which they threaten up to three years in prison. Their accomplice acted Caur Kender (Kaur Kender) – another minority. Moreover Haawel Already engaged in fraud-in 2007 he was convicted of investors’ deception in another case.
Kurvitz And Rostov Think of an action plan. Estonia and Britain examine civil lawsuits against Computers And Haawel. In addition, businessmen can be accused of criminal articles.
The developers write that they were in a difficult position. After five years of exhausting labor, Kurvitsa And Rostov fired and deprived of access to their brainchild – the universe Disco Elysium. The company they created were disconnected, and now the partners do not have enough money even for legal costs.
We are infinitely grateful to all fans Disco Elysium for invaluable moral support. We still believe in games, in ourselves and you. Millions of RPG fans have proved that games seem to have Disco Elysium Huge audience. This is a real miracle – and no one will take it from us.
Robert Kurvitz And Alexander Rostov
Augmented at 21:21 Moscow time. Gamesindustry site.BIZ published an official comment ZA/UM. The studio management denies the accusations of ex-employees and assures that they were fired for the following reasons:
Slight or zero contribution to work. One or more fired for almost two years received a salary and did nothing. Colleagues had to puff for them.
Attempts to illegally sell intellectual property ZA/UM other gaming companies to damage the rest of the team.
If you believe the studio bosses, then the employees were pointed to the door not in order to extract financial benefits, but in order to improve the situation in the team. Most of the money that brought Disco Elysium, will spend on the production of new projects (yes, in the plural!).
We will not allow the words and the actions of the minority to divert attention from the important work of the studio. Compared to last year ZA/UM has grown three times and has almost 100 employees, including the vast majority of the authors Disco Elysium. We have gathered an incredibly talented, creative and enthusiastic team. It combines the plot with a visual series and technologies to bring video games to a new level and rethink genres. We will be happy to continue to invest in our work. A lot of interesting things await you.
From the statement ZA/UM